#character dying

[truly-morgan]

[Reigen has a terminal illness and hides it]

Reigen Arataka | Mob Psycho 100 06-04-2023

Having some Reigen angst morning thoughts:

Him being diagnosed with an illness that will be the death of him and he has at best only a handful of years left.

Yet he doesn't tell anyone, doesn't want to worry and burden anyone.

Like, maybe he had been struggling a bit nore already in the past months, but always brushed it off because it came and went. Although he's half forced to go by his employees when they botice he doesn't seem too good.

Then he get the result about his terminal illness.

And of course, he doesnt tell anyone.

Not his family, not that he'd know how to tell them to be quite honest. It seems like a lot of trouble to deal with.

He doesn't tell Serizawa, he doesn't need to worry about his boss when he's already focused on his night class.

Plus he doesnt quite trust the man wouldn't accidentally spill the bean.

He doesn't tell Tome, she's already occupied enough with her first semester and year of college, she doesnt need to worry about him.

He doesn't tell Ekubo, because he feels like the spirit would likely tell Mob.

And of course, he doesnt tell Mob. His little student is in his last yeard of high school, he should focuse on having fun, his finals and college application.

Something in Reigen hopes Mob will go to a college away from Seasojing City (contrary to Tome) so he can more easily hide it from him. He knows Mob would worry about him and would likely try helping him more, and he refuse to take away parts of Mob precious teenage Years because he's sick.

So instead he hides it from everyone. He doesn't need the people he cherish to worry over him, to feel sad or awkward around him because of it.

He wants to only leave good memories behind.

And at first it easy enough to hide.

If he's getting tired more easily, he just brushes it off as him getting old (even though he barely entered his 30's). And sometimes simply says he just stayed up too late the previous night.

But then sickness days comes more regularly and that is a bit hard to hide properly, making him look awfull. And there's only so many excuse he can give for that.

He still tries to reassure everyone, but even Reigen doesn't find his bullshiting convincing.

And he goes months not telling anyone, the uncertainty and awkwardness still settling in the office despite his attempt being the opposite of that.

and with time he also grows weaker, and thinner from his lack of appetite and his medication not helping that.

And everyone tries acting as if they were seeing nothing.

Until Mob simply snaps.

He snaps because Reigen lost consciousness as they were fighting against a spirit and nearly got himself gravely injured.

Snap because he now has months of frustration and worries piling up and he NEEDS to know what the fuck is happening with shisho.

and maybe he grows really quiet when Reigen finally admits it.

and then Mob looks mad. mad and sad "Did shisho ever plan to tell me? Did you think I would rather one day stop having you reply to me while I am away only to learn from someone else you died?

"Did you think I would be happier not knowing you are in pain, that I would be happier to not make proper goodbye if I can?"

emotional talk and angst, everyone around Reigen end up finding out too and they all do try to help him out as best they can, but also try to not overwhelm him with all this attention.

Maybe Mob decides to take a little break before going to college, so he can stay with Reigen and help him. Maybe Reigen feels guilty about it, because he didn't want this to happen.

But really, there's nothing that would change Mob's mind once he decided on something.

Also maybe havinghis precious Mob by his side in his last moment wouldn't be so bad...

(I just realised this was angst with a bit of comfort at the end lol, always need a little bit of comfort at least)

Original

[bixels]

The final TF2 issue really got to me. Spoilers, but it’s the reveal that all of this suffering and murder and war over gravel and shitty land was for nothing but senseless, bottomless hatred. That the administrator can’t even remember where this revenge plot started as she flashes through different false memories of her parents’ deaths. There was never a tragic backstory or justification, only terrible people doing despicable things. And despite how crass and stupid and unserious TF2 is, the story subverts every expectation by showing the survivors and inheritors willingly breaking the cycle. Ms. Pauling lies to the administrator and chooses not to save her, and finally lets her die. (Hurts even more if you read into the subtext that Ms. Pauling is in love with the administrator.) She lets the final cache of Australium go and walks away from the burden and legacy of a century-old bloodfeud. Hale lets Gray’s daughter go and live her life freely. Spy is the first to arrive at Scout’s house and meet his big family, finally takes off his mask, and helps with the kids. Even Merasmus exhaustedly makes peace with himself and Soldier and chooses not to curse him or something. There’s nothing to finish, no promises to keep, and no one to avenge. The only thing to do is break the cycle and walk away.

It feels odd how happy and warm everything is, but it feels so right and earned. These bloodthirsty, awful, violent men were expendable cogs in a machine of endless violence, and they found a way out. It’s a genuinely great message about letting go the past that burdens you and finding the will and a way to hit the bricks, change, and be happy. Maybe they don’t technically deserve happiness, but they’ve got it nonetheless, and they’re not gonna let it go to waste. They’re still all crazy and violent, but on their own terms now and with people who love them! Smiles.

[milk-bat]

[marciaillust]

an Angel

[stromblessed]

Mizu, femininity, and fallen sparrows

In my last post about Mizu and Akemi, I feel like I came across as overly critical of Mizu given that Mizu is a woman who - in her own words - has to live as a man in order to go down the path of revenge.

If she is ever discovered to be female by the wrong person, she will not only be unable to complete her quest, but there's a good chance that she'll be arrested or killed.

So it makes complete sense for Mizu to distance herself as much as possible from any behavior that she feels like would make someone question her sex.

I felt so indignant toward Mizu on my first couple watchthroughs for this moment. Why couldn't Mizu bribe the woman and her child's way into the city too? If Mizu is presenting as a man, couldn't she claim to be the woman's escort?

However, this moment makes things pretty clear. Mizu knows all too well the plight of women in her society. She knows it so well that she cannot risk ever finding herself back in their position again. She helps in what little way she can - without drawing attention to herself.

Mizu is not a hero and she is not one to make of herself a martyr - she will not set herself on fire to keep others warm. There's room to argue that Mizu shouldn't prioritize her quest over people's lives, but given the collateral damage Mizu can live with in almost every episode of season 1, Mizu is simply not operating under that kind of morality at this point. ("You don't know what I've done to reach you," Mizu tells Fowler.)

And while I still feel like Mizu has an obvious and established blind spot when it comes to Akemi because of their differences in station, such that Mizu's judgment of Akemi and actions in episode 5 are the result of prejudice rather than the result of Mizu's caution, I also want to establish that Mizu is just as caged as Akemi is, despite her technically having more freedom while living as a man.

Mizu can hide her mixed race identity some of the time, and she can hide her sex almost all of the time, but being able to operate outside of her society's strict rules for women does not mean she cannot see their plight.

It does not mean she doesn't hurt for them.

Back to Mizu and collateral damage, remember that sparrow?

While Mizu is breaking into Boss Hamata's manse, she gets startled by a bird and kills it on reflex. She then cradles it in her hands - much more tenderly than we've seen Mizu treat almost anything up to this point in the season:

She then puts it in its nest, with its unhatched eggs. Almost like she's trying to make the death look natural. Or like an accident.

You see where I'm going with this.

When Mizu kills Kinuyo, Mizu lingers in the moment, holding the body tenderly:

And btw a lot of stuff about this show hit me hard, but this remains the biggest gut punch of them all for me, Mizu holding that poor girl's body close, GOD

When Mizu arranges the "scene of the crime," Kinuyo's body is delicate, birdlike. And Mizu is so shaken afterward that she gets sloppy. She's horrified at this kill to the point that she can't bring herself to take another innocent life - the boy who rats her out.

MIZU'S ONE MOMENT OF SOFTNESS AND MERCY, COMING ON THE HEELS OF HER NEEDING TO KILL A GIRL TO SPARE HER THE WORST FATE THAT THIS RIGID SOCIETY HAS TO OFFER WOMEN, AND TO SPARE A BROTHEL FULL OF INNOCENT WOMEN WHO ARE THE CASTOFFS OF SOCIETY, NEARLY RESULTS IN ALL OF THEIR DEATHS

No wonder Mizu is as stoic and cold as she is.

And no wonder Mizu has no patience for Akemi whatsoever right before the terrible reveal and the fight breaks out:

Speaking of Akemi - guess who else is compared to a bird!

The plumage is more colorful, a bit flashier. But a bird is a bird.

And, uh

Yeah.

I like to think that Mizu killing the sparrow is not only foreshadowing for what she must do to Kinuyo, but is also a representation of the choice she makes on Akemi's behalf. She decides to cage the bird because she believes the bird is "better off." Better off caged than... dead.

But because Mizu doesn't know Akemi or her situation, she of course doesn't realize that the bird is fated to die if it is caged and sent back home.

Mizu is clearly not happy, or pleased, or satisfied by allowing Akemi to be dragged back to her father:

But softness and mercy haven't gotten Mizu anywhere good, recently.

There is so much tragedy layered into Mizu's character, and it includes the things she has to witness and the choices she makes - or believes she has to make - involving women, when she herself can skirt around a lot of what her society throws at women. Although, I do believe that it comes at the cost of a part of Mizu's soul.

After all, I'm gonna be haunted for the rest of this show by Mizu's very first prayer in episode 1:

"LET" her die. Because as Ringo points out, she doesn't "know how" to die.

Kind of like another bird in this show:

[basketcasemp3]

this doesnt seem like a popular opinion on here but sometimes i like when characters die. sometimes its needed to raise the stakes and sometimes its the end best befitting of the character and sometimes its needed to move the narrative forward and sometimes its the only way a character would believably leave their story behind and sometimes it just spices things up a bit. sometimes its fun to watch characters die . sorry

[seraphont]

a counter to the angst

[proxycrit]

Some notes for a post canon story for arcane! I’m coping. This pbbly wont get written but it’s super fun to daydream about, and yall know how I love daydreaming.

(Anyways i think that vi should have a cool jacket in every new arc like how jinx has a new haircut.)

((Story ideas include; Jinx finally decides to send a postcard from demacia, of all places. Caitlyn is a reformed war criminal trying to not continue war criminalling. Vi gets embroiled in political machinations on accident (all she wanted to do was plant some trees). Ekko is once again the mvp.))

Sketchbook available on Patreon for two whole dubloons!

Wanna see my caitvi art? Check this out

[iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid]

sorry we put your morally complex black female character in a fandom. yeah they're vilifying her for making difficult decisions under severe duress. yeah no it's too late, they're already writing porn about the random white guy with 30 seconds of screentime who did all the same bad stuff that she did but for worse reasons. yeah. yeah no. not really anything we can do at this point. sorry

[coramanchas]

I love him

[mipmoth]

Yamask Ingo in sinnoh chilling doing pokemon stuff idk eating a berry

[That moment when little]

[nonomives]

Ah yes my second favorite primary colors blorbo

[lazycranberrydoodles]

english translation book 5 baby we are in the ‘people assuming kid form hua cheng is xie lian’s son’ era 🔥🔥🔥 / follow for more hualian silliness

[random-dragon-exe]

You know what, I don't care what anyone says, this is the funniest line and scene to me in Dragons: Race to the Edge;

Just something about him picking fun of his lack of leg and inability to say no to Astrid's ideas for the price of one line is hilarious to me.

[roachcicle]

diomedes and sthenelus sketches but i gave up on rendering halfway and did not feel like drawing feet

[horsechestnut]

I just think it's really neat how much fans have latched onto the fact that Stephanie Brown was Robin.

Like, both in and out of universe Stephanie was never meant to be taken seriously as Robin. The writers only made her Robin so that her death in War Games would be shocking and Bruce only made her Robin because he thought it would make Tim jealous enough to come back. She only had the mantle for 71 days before being fired (for doing something that literally every other Robin has also done and not been fired over), and she was only active during 50 of them. There are only six issues where Steph is Robin in the canon timeline.

Her final words before her death are asking Batman (Batman, because even on her death bed he doesn't trust her enough to take off his mask) if any of it was real. Was she really Robin? And Batman assures her that of course she was, that she was part of the legend and no one can take it away from her. Except it's a lie, because despite his reassurances, Batman never puts up a memorial or does anything to preserve her memory. He never really thinks of her as Robin, and even her friends will always think of her as Spoiler before ever remembering Robin.

Meanwhile DC spent years ignoring her time as Robin, to the point where it was completely erased from existence for awhile. It's technically back now, because timelines are weird, but unlike the others it's never been altered. She's never been given a second chance at it, no one's ever gone back and added more issues or details about those 71 days, or even seems to want to acknowledge them most of the time.

But fans have clung on to it anyway. Sure, there are lots of people who make Robin posts that are just about the boys, but there are just as many people who are ready to fight anyone who doesn't include her. Maybe it was only for a little while, but she was Robin, and we're sure as hell not going to forget it. If DC isn't going to bother to remember, than we will.

Stephanie Brown was Robin. She was part of the legend. It was real. No matter what, no one can take that away from her.