#considerations for what the portrayal meant

[ghostfag]

shaking in my boots over posting something tee emm ay related . noooo i got my cs lab in the morninggg

[fishhjuice]

[Also available on Twitter]

Disclaimer: Content warnings for Discussions of Xenophobia, Racism and Transmisogyny. This is not at all meant to be a hit piece for Finn or anyone who likes Finn. I love Finn, hence why i'm writing all about the said unfortunate implications of Finn's characterization, so we can acknowledge them and act accordingly.

Firstly, we have to talk about the said characterization.

Finn is the crown-tail betta fish violinist of Bottom Feeders, the celtic rock band of Splatoon 2, and has also been featured in Riot Act's "No Plan Survives". Finn, due to her stubborn personality, and how she does things in her own way, frequently clashes with the other members of her band, leading to the band nearly dissolving on several instances. [X] She has been portrayed as getting physical towards other members of her band (namely Tangle) as depicted in the art above, which has led the fandom to speculate this is Finn showing aggression due to being a betta, (a ""male"" betta to be specific, getting to that)

A thing to note about Finn is that although in canon she has been referenced in a feminine way (through Beika), in betta fish it is the males, not females that have the colorful, long fins, which has made her trans-coded.

So basically we have a possibly trans woman character who has darker skin and is implied to be celtic/Irish due to her genre. Let's unpack the implications of portraying her through her aggression.

Black-Coding and Finn

Black characters are at times portrayed as angry, overly hostile and aggressive in dominant media due to systematic racism and prejudice we exist in. These depictions have a long racist history, and been used to justify racist practices by portraying black people as more primitive, more susceptible to their base instincts, compared to the logical, calm white race. So you can see one of the big reasons to why it is so imporant to not portray Finn as always angry and ready to fight as a darker skinned character even if canon text doesn't per say treat her as a black person.

For the record, there is nothing wrong with Black people, or Finn for that matter, to be angry, or to have fights. It is through constant depiction of a black or black-coded character like that which is harmful and only contibutes to and reinforces marginalization of black people.

Trans-Coding and Finn

Another issue starts with portraying Finn as aggressive due to her nature as a "biologically male betta". For the uninitiated, bettas are known to be Siamese Fighting Fish for a reason, and male bettas are especially known for being more aggressive than their female counterparts, due to them not being able to live with other males. However, the fact they show less aggression doesn't mean that females show no aggression. Female betta will establish hierarchies and enforce them, and bite an chase each other as males do to do so. [X] I tell you all this to point out how it is no justification to portray Finn's aggression as a result of her being amab, because any narrative with Finn that portrays that aggression as innate to Finn's male nature is dangerously close to to transmisogynist/TERF rhetoric that it is men's biological innate nature to be aggressive, and trans women who are biologically male are inherently aggressive and a threat.

Irish-Coding and Finn

Then you might say, Finn is Irish, that might be it, the Angry Irish streotype (which is possibly what the devs were going for). Even if anti-Irish sentiment has died down considerably (especially compared to anti-black or anti-trans sentiment) and even if due to that this is the arguably most ""innocent"" portrayal of Finn's aggression, i still think it needs to be acknowledged that Irish prone to anger and violence is a colonial streotype perpetuated by Britain against the Irish who were resisting their colonization, portraying them as rude and barbarous to their expense. Although this streotype arguably lost it's bite (depends on who's arguing), it still persists to this day, and that alone makes it important to acknowledge.

Finn and Fandom

So what now? Splatoon has a very delicate to portray character that is often mishandled due to her "aggression"?

Well, Let's rip the bandaid off.

Even if Finn is portrayed as fighting her bandmates, the canon text never calls Finn aggressive. The Haikara Walker blurb never uses the word aggressive. The word they use to describe Finn is stubborn. According to canonical text, Finn gets into fights because she is stubborn, and wants things to be done in her way. That in itself does not at all imply she is aggressive. I emphasize this, because I want you to understand Finn as constantly aggressive and hostile and ready to start fights is a fandom invention. You can interpret the band fight to imply Finn is an aggressive person, sure, but it would be your interpretation of the White Day art at the end of the day (in which Tangle is also fighting back but you know, it's only Finn who is characterized in a certain way).

The fact charitable interpretations of Finn are rarer than they should be is a problem.

I think it is a thing in itself to be examined that "Finn is acting like a betta" is also fandom attribution to Finn. In Splatoon, although characters might have animal impulses (inklings and octolings) they are not defined by their animal traits. Another example to an "aggressive fish" in Splatoon canon is Kikura, whose species is a very aggressive cichlid, and yet Kikura is not portrayed with any aggression, making us see it is not canon but fanon that portrays Finn this way.

And even if it was concrete canon that Finn was influenced by her nature as a betta or male betta for that matter, or somewhat imply Finn is an inherently aggressive person, it would be fandom's responsibility to navigate that with utmost care as to not further marginalize marginalized people and not contribute to it.

The fact we are having this talk shows we've failed in this or that reality.

Why is Finn's passion for music making is not a driving force in her characterization? The fact she wants to share the music she loves? The fact she is described to be glamorous? Why has this one debatable aspect of Finn's characterization became all there is to Finn when it has such unfortunate implications no matter which angle you take? I leave that question up to you, and I ask you to be more mindful of all of things.

Thank you for reading.

[waokevale]

A Clarification to Wormwood's Age (And why he's fully fledged without a shred of doubt)

So, as we all know or have heard some at point, there are still people out there, who think the peculiar lunar plantation is an infant, solely due to the way he speaks, behaves and of conviction that he was literally born yesterday. Which by all means is false.

That's why I'm here to finally dismantle that belief. I'll present you with several compelling arguments of mine based on throughout research I did on his character overall, and if by the end of this post, you'll still hold firm to that same opinion, then I'm afraid that's out of my hands by that point.

If you're willing to stay for the duration of this thesis, and hear me out, I'll be very greatful. And please do listen, so we may not make any more misconceptions as such about him in the future.

I'll be splitting this post into 5 segments, one with additional subcategories.

General Appearance

Behavioral Pattern

Intelligence

Character Interrelations

Canon Information

First of, let's start off with the obvious:

General Appearance

If we're going to interpret his appearance based on 'human qualities', then physically, compared to actual child characters, Wormwood's design is vastly different.

The easiest way for me to prove that, lies in one of the recent animations: (Swine & Dine), where all the (live) children are gathered in one place, alongside Wormwood and Wes.

Here, you can distinctly pick apart the difference between the three preteen characters, Walter, (who's likely supposed to be a teenager on the younger side; around 13-14), and the last two.

The most obvious difference is the jawline. Wormwood, for one, has a massive jaw, easily rivaling that of Maxwell's (while technically, this feature isn't reserved solely for adults, it is moreso common to see an adult with a define jawline, rather than a child.)

This, alongside his torso being usually depicted as an inverted triangle (at least in the official animations), seem to be features added intentionally somewhere post his release, as he looks much more childlike in his animation video, where he's still technically a sapling per se.

Even Several of Wormwood's skins showcase, that he is in no way meant to be seen in a juvenile way.

The best example of that being his Victorian skin.

Look me dead in the eye and tell me that's a child. That is one of the most indisputable old man portrayals, you can get from an anthropomorphic plant character in media. Do not try and argue, how a child is meant to look like that, because neither of the four actual child characters has a skin, which makes them appear that much significantly older than they actually are.

So what reason would Klei even have to make his skin look so apparently elderly, if they saw him as a child?

More examples of his mature skins could be said for the Roseate and Guest of Honor. While they're not outright elderly, as is the former, the general vibe is similar to that of other adult characters' portraits.

Now that we've compared him to human characters and their characteristics, we should take into consideration what he actually is. Let's remember, that at the end of the day, he's partially a plant organism and partially an inorganic crystal from the moon , certainly he ages much differently than us humans, or even most other constant species for that matter.

I'm pretty sure he was also formed with a fully developed body (since he seemingly bloomed shortly after forming, which is a trait reserved primarily for mature plants)

But then again, appearance alone isn't enough to make one truly adult, is it? Thus we're moving on to:

Behavioral pattern

Few things you'll immediately realize about Wormwood is his alleged naivety, playful nature and seldom use of grammatical correctness. Due to this, many immediately assume that he's a child, which is understandable, but not a good enough reason to make such an assumption.

There are many factors involved in building one's disposition, and in Wormwood's case, there's plenty of reasonable causes for his behavor:

As previously stated, he's quite literally a sentient amalgam of vines, brought to life by a jewel from the moon. His origin far disparates that of any known being, especially a human.

His mind develops much differently than that of an average person. This correlates with the point above (since its a big green gem in his chest and not an actual brain). Plus, he likely hadn't had the chance to have a proper education. While he seems to have picked up on a lot of mannerisms from the pigsfolk in Hamlet, I doubt anyone went out of their way to actually school him.

He's feral. The majority of his upbringing, he likely spent surviving in the jungle. In a way, he reminds me a lot of Tarzan (A human, who grew up raised by a troop of gorillas after his parents were killed. He can communicate with the local wildlife just fine, but deeply struggles understanding and relating to the outsiders; other humans, who one day arrived on his land.) That's likely the reason why Wormwood refers to certain creatures with mimicking the sounds they make. Perhaps he can understand them to a degree, or at least is trying to.

Just because he doesn't speak English, doesn't mean he's slow. It is plausible he speaks a different language, while English doesn't come naturally to him. As is the case with Wolfgang, who has similar speech impediment issues and struggles with saying full sentences, but that's quite literally because English isn't his mother tongue. It's been a running gag that Wolfgang is the embodiment of a European man, and whichever country/countries he might've originated from, it's definitely not the UK. As might be the case for Wormwood and whatever constant language he actually thinks in.

He has certain traits akin to people with autism/Asperger's or ADHD (Nonverbal communication, delayed language development, lacking social cues, sensitive nose, short attention span, hyperactive and somewhat impulsive behavior, wild or overexaggerated movement, struggle with fitting in, little sense of awareness etc.) And I'm speaking from experience with this one, he's quite relatable to me, and many of my friends on the spectrum.

With that let's move on to the third segment.

Intelligence

Just how smart is he truly?

Wormwood isn't regarded for his high intellect, that's for sure, but remember, intelligence isn't defined by just the book smarts society imposes on us. Therefore it doesn't always correspond to a person's age and experience.

Wormwood, while definitely not on a level of a Harvard graduate, is extremely intelligent and a quick learner at that.

Let's digest what we generally know about intelligence and what it really means for Wormwood.

With the main question at hand : What differentiates a child mind from an adults'?

While he certainly shares some personality traits with Webber, their mindsets are rather different.

I'd like to present my point with a simple method.(From that one Quora post, believe it or not, it was the most convenient out of all the theories and tests I found) Dividing that, which is known as thought process into five subcategories, of which are:

Cognitive Development

Life Experience

Responsibility and Independence

Emotional Regulation

Social and Moral Development

So let's start with Cognitive Development/Psychology

(Definition : The process of growth and change in intellectual/mental abilities such as thinking, reasoning and understanding. That includes: the ability to interpret information, verbally communicate ideas, appropriately apply words and gestures to given situations, recognize and differentiate various sounds, comprehend your surroundings, use past experience to resolve current or future problems more efficiently, etc. TLDR: How thought process changes with age ; Talking, hearing, reading, remembering, problem-solving, understanding, You get the point. )

By this point, Wormwood's acquired plenty of general knowledge of the world around him and what to expect from it. (In some cases, he seems to know things without realizing it, or simply wishes to not provide more info of what he's already aware of.)

He is capable of understanding various different things, applying appropriate words to them, when given the chance. He often struggles to properly phrase what he means, but you can still get around to grasp it.

And you know what? He's especially good at deducing things not every character can point out. Here are some of the more obvious to least obvious things he's mentioned:

Leaky teacup - "Can't drink from it"

Beaten Beater - "Hmm... Can't use it"

Start tower kit - "Need to plant it on the water"

Compass- "which way?"

N- "North

S- "South"

E- "East"

W- "West"

NE- "Northeast"

SE- "Southeast"

NW- "Northwest

SW- "Southwest"

(The direction one would seem pointless to add but let's remember that there literally are characters in this game who don't know which way is which cough cough Winona cough)

Clippings - "Can sell this hair"

Sapphire Medallion/Tenpiece oinc – "Can buy things now"

(the plant understands capitalism 👍)

Winona's GEM-erator (out of fuel) - "Oh. Needs sparky"

Telelocator Focus (missing gem)- "Needs Purple Shiny"

Telelocator Socket (missing gem)- "Where shiny things?"

The Queen of Moon Quay: "Oh...she thinks Night Ball is friend hair?"

(He might know who They are after all)

Beast of Hunger (1) - "Oh. Not alive"

(This, plus any other quote of his mistaking a statue or an object with distinguishable features as alive, does not make him dull; this world literally has statues coming to life. He simply uses a reasoning he acquired from living in the Constant.)

Rose-Colored Glasses – "Friends show Fixer friend secret things"

(Most character, barring Maxwell, Wendy and Wigfrid don't know about the glasses' true purpose)

Ancient chest - "Put stuff in there!"

(One of 4 characters to have an inclining what to do with it)

Greater Gestalt- "Protect"

Enlightened Crown - "Helps hear them"

(Okay, he definitely knows who They are)

Hound Corpse (reanimating) - "Coming back"

(He seems the least bit of surprised or disturbed by this, compared to everyone else)

Antlion (upset) - "Oh no. Needs gifts"

(interestingly, no one else seems to mention why the Antlion is upset)

Mysterious Energy- "Seed"

(...?)

Distilled knowledge- "Plant this in funny floor"

(he's the only one to have figured out what to actually do with it)

I think what we all can realize from going through his quotes, is that he's in no way as clueless as he initially seems. He has his moments, but so do the rest of the survivors.

Life Experience, Responsibility and Independence

This plant has lived through a lot, but then again so have the rest, a lot of them have faced countless hardships most of us can't even fathom.

From what we already know, the fandom generally believes he is very naive and trusting, which really isn't the case. The thing is, it's not that he's naive, he may not react especially negatively to a creature or thing because he's used to seeing bizarre things, or because he's not afraid of them, unlike the majority of the survivor cast, who are alien to the constant.

Barring the in-game mechanics which force characters to be competent regardless of their experience, we're going to focus on his reactions to mobs and items that might pose actual threat to him or others, or are considered as questionable by him.

Inflatable Vest - "Safe?"

Shadowcraft plinth - "Scary hands helping?"

Fish steak - "Watch for bones"

Candy Apple - "Careful! Don't eat stick! "

Platapine (sleeping)- "don't wake it"

Sentrypede husk - "Sleeping. Shhh"

Sea Stack - "Oops! Watch out!

Great Tree Root - "Oh! Don't bump into friends!"

Worm hole (open) - "Deep. Dark"

(When deerclops is near) - "Something scary coming!"

Pressure plate - Hmmm...Odd rock"

Dread mite (about to explode) - "Look out!"

Shadow Reaper - "No...Wants to hurt friends!"

Depth Worm (lure) - "Hmm... not safe"

Depth Worm (burrowed) - "something hiding"

Meat bulb - "Careful!"

[The fish quotes in DST + the candy Apple are giving me an image of him saying that to the child characters (and definitely Woodie for the latter)]

Independence-wise, the one thing I especially took notice of, is how much the child characters seek guidance from the adults in the group, mentioning them by their formal titles too. That's especially frequent with Webber, Wurt, and Walter, though Wendy rarely does this. On one hand, she claims she considers toys and fun to be behind her, but contradictory, enjoys playing with other children and some of the adults. (Besides we canonically know she's 10-11 years old)

Wormwood isn't known for wanting to seek guidance either. He's sometimes confused about how certain things work and thus will ask about it, but that's understandable given his predicament. (As @thebleedingalien once mentioned, he's like an extraterrestrial experiencing bits and pieces from 2 different worlds at once)

He doesn't really care to play with toys either, (barring a couple of instances, one being Bernie and the others; toys with wheels and Antlion's sand castle. But c'mon, I know some of you grown adults own toy cars/collectibles or build sandcastles when the opportunity arises, you can't lie to me and say neither of these things is fun. Plus, this is literally a forum on video games, and those, not too long ago, were considered childish.

Besides, adult characters in this game also goof around. There's the whole sand castle building thing in Shipwrecked, which curiously Wormwood doesn't have a strong opinion on.)

But if we were to compare his maturity to other adult characters…

(Wilson) [aside his many, many jokes]: Silk- "It comes from a spider's butt."

(Willow) Portal Exit - "It's fun to watch OTHER people fall on their butts."

(Wolfgang) Coral Nubbin - "Haha. Rock is bald."

(WX-78) Regular Jungle Tree (normal and stump) - "THIS DUMB TREE HAS A DUMB FACE"

(Wickerbottom) Weregoose - "My! What a silly goose!"

(Wigfrid) Plant (ready to be picked) - "Ugh, vegetables. I'm nöt sure what I expected..."

(Woodie) Ghost - "Boo! Ha ha!"

(Winona) Kingly Figure - "It's BUST-ed! Ha!"

(Maxwell) Frazzled Wires - "I might hide those in WX-78's bedroll if I get bored"

(Wortox) [But if we were to pick an example of many] Potato Sack- "Hyuyuyu, wouldn't it be fun to hide inside and give him a scare?"

Yeah, I think he's good.

In this section I don't really have much else to say. He can be cautious, he can be daft. He joggles the braincells alongside the rest of the survivors. But all in all, I would not consider him any more reckless or goofy than either the child or adult characters. Independence wise, while he can absolutely manage just fine on his own, his desire for companionship far outweighs that.

And since we've already talked about maturity, let's move on to:

Emotional Regulation

Despite common belief, Wormwood is not overly emotional. While, yes, he is excitable and easy to impress, he doesn't usually display intense negative emotions, unless something (more often than not wooden) is destroyed, or unless a plant or a creature he likes, suffers. But then again, in those situations, it's logical to display panic, worry and grief. Imagine if your family member or friend suddenly caught on fire and burned before your eyes... Yeah, I bet no one morally adjusted would be the slightest bit of composed in those kinds of situations...

Worse yet, the majority of the Constant is filled with plants, most of whom are his friends, the closest to his kind, beings which display varying amount of sentience...

In actuality, the children, including Wendy, display a shift in emotions much more often than Wormwood does.

Then there's Willow, WX-78, Woodie (birds) and Maxwell, who all have even less emotional stability.

In comparison, I'd say he handles most situations much more maturely and nonchalantly.

Social & Moral Development

Ah yes, the ability to difference right from wrong, morality, patos or however you would call it. Now this one's a little tricky, on one hand, while he may react strongly to a plant's demise, his reaction varies, when it comes to animals and structures. Sometimes, he doesn't really bat an eye, frankly, other times, he displays intense amounts of grief.

I guess that's the definition of selective empathy.

Curiously, he has 2 separate quotes for a pigeon. One from Hamlet, where he seems a lot more distressed when it perishes, and the other, from The Gorge, where he simply states the fact "Oh. Dead."

I'd like to think this was intentional to sort of give him that fading care many of us experience as we grow older.

Here's another example:

[Hamlet] Glowfly (dead) - "(sob)"

[DST, Host of Horrors update] Koalefant Carcass - "Braump...? Not anymore"

Regarding the other survivors; for the most part, he sympathizes with them. Though he doesn't panic much when they die from average constant shenanigans. He knows it's not permanent or consequential.

He does show sympathy, when some of the others' precious belongings get destroyed or damaged.

Winona's Catapult (burnt)- "Fire bad"

Winona's Spotlight (burnt)- "Oh. So sad"

Mighty Gym (burnt)- "Oh... poor muscle man..."

Or in some instances, when a character strongly disapproves of something/is emotionally hurt and he takes notice of that:

Nautipilot - "Robot friend doesn't like Pull Rock"

Mocking Bird - "Mean tweeters, hurt friends' feelings!"

What's interesting, is that, while he calls many creatures his friends, he specifically avoids calling Maxwell that. He even considers Lucy, Willow and Woodie his friends, which is just... wow. May he harbor a grudge against him for what he did to the other survivors? Something more personal? Or is it moreso related to the fact he's fully siding with the shadows... Most likely the former.

Overall I would say he's definitely more empathetic than not, and one doesn't have to care for every living being after all.

Character Interrelations

Regarding what other characters think of how old he is...

It's debatable, keep in mind, the characters don't have to be fully aware, or can misinterpret his age based on his behavior alone.

Most people just refer to him as "plant", unsurprisingly.

There's characters like Winona, who seem to intentionally downplay his age. Winona in her quotes refers to both Wormwood and Wilson (who's officially in his 30s) as 'bucko' (a lively, young fellow. Or in some cases a friend, or another version of buddy). As for her quotes for Bramble trap and Compost wrap, she refers to Wormwood with the terms 'lil plant fella' and 'little guy'. She pretty much just teases people who are younger than her or seem younger. Or she genuinely believes he's actually that young.

There's plenty instances of people calling him a variation of little, small or sapling, which might just be how they see him. Keep in mind, just because a character may think he's on the younger side, does not mean their interpretation is the absolute firm belief you should uphold.

Then, there's Wolfgang and Wurt, who both firmly believe that he's a grown adult.

(Wolfgang) Generic - "Is leafy green man, %s! Hello!"

Firestarter - "Leafy green man did a fire booboo."

Syrup of Ipecaca - "Will leafy green man be sad if Wolfgang doesn't have a taste?"

(Wolfgang only calls him little once in his quotes, because he calls everyone little, children though, he refers to as very tiny + boy/girl/child, so there's that.)

(Wurt) Attacker - "Ow! You mean old weed!"

You might think; why would I care about what a child and a man who's considered to not be so bright think? Well, my previous point about language barriers explains that. Besides, Wurt is a constant-born creature who builds an entire kingdom in her play style, by no means, is she clueless. She also refers to Deerclops and Antlion as 'She', while most of the other characters use he or it.

What's interesting is that Wickerbottom also tends to avoid referring to him with youthful terms, aside the obvious general one she uses for everyone and everything. If anything, she's more patronizing towards Woodie, Wilson, Winona and Wigfrid. (All of whom are in between their late 20s-40s)

Lastly, we have:

Canon Information

While there isn't much information relating to his age, there are hints in the game canon that explain that.

In the game's compendium, where reside the survivors' profile, backstory and description, three of the four kids have 'young' in their introduction. Barring Walter, who instead has 'boy' which is as much of a youthful term. Wormwood's simply stated as 'an amalgam of vines' not a seedling, sapling nor a young/little plant.

From his backstory, we know that:

"A green gem fell from the moon, landing on an ancient stone monument in the middle of overgrown rubble. Over a long period of time, a vine encircled the gem and eventually formed a humanoid figure sitting on the monument. The figure, Wormwood, opened his eyes and looked at his hands. (...)"

(Now this simply explains, that a lot of time has passed as he was forming, unlike what's shown in his animation, where his body instantly forms.)

There's also this part of his bio.

“Though the circumstances of his creation were unusual at best, Wormwood came into this world full of optimism and curiosity, ready to make new friends and see all that life had to offer. But as time wore on and he experienced the cold sting of rejection, he came to learn what the moon above had always known: Wormwood the Lonesome does not belong here.”

It's implied that a while has passed since his birth. Everyone assumes that he was just created recently and that he doesn't know anything, but as I've shown you previously, he's very perceptive when it matters. He has the knowledge and experience, even insight or a hunch. He is able to determine things others can't. Ever since Hamlet happened, his quotes gradually became somewhat more apathetic towards creatures dying, as opposed to the worry and care he previously displayed.

I wouldn't say he's exactly an adult the same way the human characters are, but he's in no way a child as many presume him to be.

(It actually kind of reminds me of how certain Greek gods are created; some are formed as adults, some grow and then eventually stop, and some come to be under very strange and specific circumstances, Aphrodite. But overall, you can't exactly compare their maturing process to that of a human.) Meanwhile, Wormwood is an alien plant with a crystal for a brain

So by the end of this post, are you still inclined to believe he's a child?

Was this completely unnecessary and took far too long to construct? Yes.

Do I regret making this? Nah.

[bijoumikhawal]

anyway I am going to spoil everyone's fun. The Mummy is a racist movie, it's frustrating that it's popular and no one discusses that, and let me explain why

Whitewashing/brownface/self orientalism. The Carnahan's are meant to be mixed race. Their actors are white. Oded Fehr is white and a significant portion of his career has been playing exotic brown people in media made for white people, specifically while weaponizing the ethnic ambiguity he does have. Imhotep is white- insult to injury, his actor is an Afrikaner! Playing a pre-colonial African character! The only Egyptians played by people who arent white are the sex pest warden, Dr. Bey (also a minor character who dies), and Anck-su-namun. None of their actors are Egyptian.

The portrayal of Egyptian men. The warden and Jonathan are both portrayed as pathetic, weak, morally circumspect, and the warden is a pervert. Imhotep is also a pervert, frankly. The Egyptian public at large- mostly male crowds and male workers- are literally canon fodder and senselessly killed on multiple occasions. They're turned into mindless zombies, with no consideration given to what happens to them afterwards. Did hundreds of people just die? In public? The only two Egyptian men that aren't utterly horrible are Evie's boss, Dr. Bey, and Ardeth.

The portrayal of Egyptian women. The only two we actually hear speak is Evie and Anck-su-namun, both of whom have orientalist tropes applied to them- Evie, when they make her dress "local", and Anck-su-namun with the whole titlating "the pharaoh has me walk around naked and covered in wet body paint so no one can touch me without him knowing" nonsense- similar tropes are applied to Ardeth, frankly, with how his tattoos are portrayed, his ethnic background, etc. They specifically chose tattoos a Western audience would still find sexy (which aren't based on the actual local tattooing traditions). Face veils in early 20th century Egypt didn't really look like that, even the ones you might call flirty, and I find portrayals that make Ancient Egyptian society's overall often greater comfort with bared skin into titillation for the audience pretty offensive, especially as there are currently existing cultures in Africa viewed through lenses like that. It's not merely ahistorical, it's apart of a broader issue with how living people are viewed by others.

This is more of a me thing, other Egyptians may not agree: I think mummies as a horror trope are racist. The key fear to mummy movies is that white people might get punished for disturbing the graves of the honored dead. You are asked to identify with literal colonizers and view the local population as antagonistic (past and present in this case), especially in this movie, which is set before England started pretending it wasn't controlling Egypt (and by the damn way, ask ANY Egyptian when the country got independence and we'll say 1956. Between 22 and 56, England still had explicit control over some of the government, notably foreign relations and military, it used this an excuse to justify control of Sudan, and it was militarily occupying the country, especially the Suez area. When King Farouk tried to make a decision they didn't like, they put his palace under seige. That is not independence. Whoever made the 1922 declaration the first result on Google is manufacturing apologia for imperialism).

[kittydoremi]

Brutally honest opinion on Sonamy, Sonadow and Whispangle? :P

Sorry for the late reply ><

S0namy:

Hoo boy... I have many thoughts... most not very good...

At best, I'm apathetic towards it. At worst, I'm actively annoyed and/or frusterated by it.

I think it's heavily overrated and isn't that good of a ship in general. The amount of bad portrayals of s0namy outweigh the good and/or okay ones imo, and the toxicity of the fandom surrounding it only adds to my dislike for it.

(I'm not saying everyone who likes s0namy is toxic. There are many people in the s0namy fandom that are chill. Unfortunately, there's a vocal part of the s0namy fandom that is very toxic and gatekeepy)

Alot of s0namy portrayals unfortunately fall into "Amy makes Sonic uncomfortable and/or is possessive, but it's seen as cute" which is a dynamic I really don't like. For example, Sonic X has arguably the most popular portrayal of the ship, but imo is one of if not the worst portrayals of the ship.

Then you have other extreme that the ship sometimes falls into, where I can best describe it as "they sure are standing next to eachother" (Frontiers) where there's just... nothing to it, besides "oh it's the main girl and main boy so you have to ship them, they're obviously meant for eachother!"

Another thing, it can be annoying sometimes how the fandom will exaggerate how much the ship is actually canon, saying things like "they're totally dating! they're a couple!" when in reality Sonic is single and will most likely continue to be. At most, it's teased because it's a popular ship, but it won't go further than that.

So the best way to describe how canon S0namy actually is:

Sonadow:

I like it! I think it's cute! I can't see it working out in canon, but I really like fanon sonadow and it's fun to write.

Also, even though prime sonadow is nothing like sonic or shadow would act in canon, I still think it's cute and it's the only thing I enjoyed about the show lol.

Whispangle:

This one kinda hurts... 😔

I used to really like Whispangle, I thought it was really cute. The mini series did a good job of showing their bond.

But then the city arc happened...

What the hell is this.

Why is Tangle reminding Whisper of her trauma so casually when she was shown to be considerate of her feelings before.

Why is Whisper being shown as in the wrong for being upset by this.

Why does Tangle get a 2 panel half assed apology while Whisper gets a THREE PAGE apology.

After this whole mess, it just left a bad taste in my mouth. I can't get behind this ship anymore because of how badly this was handled, and how flanderized it is now (it seems very onesided now, a lot of "Whisper angsting, Tangle comforting" over and over)

[autistic-ben-tennyson]

Tamaki and Suzume: an underrated parent-child relationship

Been thinking about my favorite movie again. Specifically an aspect of it that I think is a bit underrated. Many fell in love with Souta but I was more invested in Suzume’s relationship with her aunt and it makes me tear up a bit. It feels like a very realistic portrayal of a parent-child relationship and gives an important message about communication. I relate to both characters for different reasons which is why it hit so hard. It’s not idyllic or easy for Tamaki as she was forced into raising her niece after her sister died in the 2011 Earthquake. Soon her life became focused around raising her niece as her boyfriend drifted away and she was forced to start taking better care of herself. All very realistic for someone who has the role of parenthood thrust on them with zero warning which is relatable even for those who didn’t lose their siblings and have to be a surrogate parent to their kids.

Japanese viewers were given a booklet in theaters that revealed a bit more about Tamaki and her life before becoming a mother. She has a bit of an inferiority complex and wanted some time away from her sister who was much more sociable and loved by people. Now she has to raise her niece who is much like her mother. I can relate to that, being a lot more of a loner than my brother. Being depressed and a bit awkward while having to be around excitable and happy people can be grating and bring up feelings of jealousy and it can make you want to get away and start fresh.

Despite all that, Tamaki does her best to be a good mother, playing along with Suzume as a child when she clings to the chair her mother gave her and comforting her after having a meltdown at her birthday party. Suzume would end up comforting her aunt, both unprepared for things to end up like this, but by being emotionally vulnerable and letting their pent up emotions out, things got better. Life seemed normal with them having normal squabbles and bonding moments you’d expect for a family. This continues till the start of the movie when Tamaki is seen making a bento for her niece. Then the conflict starts when Suzume runs away with Souta.

Tamaki doesn’t know why Suzume has run off and is understandably furious over her niece running away with little consideration for her responsibilities. To her, she’s acting like a child again when chasing after that chair she was given. On Suzume’s end, she feels smothered by her aunt demanding she come home and still treating her like a child. Tamaki wants to protect her niece but Suzume wanted to save Souta which she worries her aunt won’t understand.

This is where Sadaijin and Daijin come in as they’re meant to be a parallel for Tamaki and Suzume. Tamaki and Sadaijin are not malicious but are just following what they have to do. Sadaijin has to make sure Daijin fulfills his duties even if that means smothering and reprimanding him. Tamaki has to work and maintain their house and isn’t happy with Suzume not caring about how hurt she was. Sadaijin uses Suzume’s argument with her aunt in the parking lot to lecture Daijin but he only amplifies Tamaki’s emotions that were already there. Both remind their charges that they have responsibilities they can’t ignore and that their actions are affecting others. Suzume ignored how hurt Tamaki was until she expressed it in a way that wasn’t like herself.

Just like the conversation when Suzume was a child, the argument at the gas station was a dark moment for them. But it also gave her and her aunt an opportunity to be emotionally vulnerable. Suzume suspected her aunt resented having to raise her and how it affected her life. Earlier, when talking to Chika, she admitted to feeling bad about Tamaki’s dating life and how she’s affected it despite her aunt being quite attractive. By admitting her negative feelings, Tamaki did hurt Suzume emotionally but was able to express what she had been bottling up. She is regretful of what she said which is why she breaks down to Serizawa, much to his ice cream’s misfortune.

During the bike ride to the gate to rescue Souta, the two have an another opportunity to talk now that some time has passed. Suzume apologizes to her aunt for the stress she put her through. Tamaki admits that what she said the night before was true but she still loves her daughter and is proud to have raised her, much to Suzume’s relief before teasing her a bit about her crush on Souta. The end montage shows a healthier relationship between the two with Suzume introducing her to the people she met along her journey. This dynamic was always my favorite part of the movie over the romance stuff. I still like it and I do like Souta but the relationship between Suzume and Tamaki was what hit close for me. It fits the movie’s message about how joy can come from grief. The argument at the rest stop caused a lot of grief for both characters but ultimately led to a healthier relationship. It reminds me a bit of Luz and Camila’s dynamic in The Owl House and how communication and being open about their emotions led to a better understanding. I relate to Suzume’s anger at being smothered and feeling like your parents secretly resent you. I don’t have a good relationship with them and I don’t know if I want to keep it but I still feel relief at seeing Suzume and Tamaki resolve their issues. Someone should really write a fanfic about Suzume’s childhood as well as what happened between returning home and reuniting with Souta.

[hayatheauthor]

Can I request? How write asexual romance?

I meant kind confuse since romance and sexual are almost same thing, so how that work between 2 person that love in romqntic way but no sexual from them or an asexual person with ordinary person

Crafting Asexual Romance: Navigating Emotional Intimacy in Fiction

Writing asexual romance can be both rewarding and challenging. It requires a delicate balance of understanding, empathy, and creativity to authentically capture the emotional depth and complexity of such relationships.

Whether you're a seasoned writer looking to expand your repertoire or a newcomer eager to explore diverse narratives, this guide aims to provide valuable insights into crafting compelling asexual relationships in fiction.

Understanding Asexuality

Before delving into the intricacies of writing asexual romance, it's crucial to develop a clear understanding of what asexuality entails. Asexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by a lack of sexual attraction to others. Individuals who identify as asexual may still experience romantic attraction, emotional intimacy, and desire for companionship, but they do not experience sexual attraction in the same way as aromantic people.

It’s important to note that asexuality isn’t something a character/person can change with time. You can’t have an ace character who suddenly is physically attracted to their love interest near the end of the book. They, quite literally, do not feel sexual arousal for others, and this isn’t something you can ‘overcome’ or ‘undo’. This is also why it’s important to label your characters correctly and recognise the difference between celibacy and asexuality. 

It's essential to recognize that asexuality exists on a spectrum, with individuals experiencing varying degrees of sexual attraction or lack thereof. Some asexual individuals may identify as aromantic, meaning they do not experience romantic attraction either, while others may actively seek romantic relationships.

It’s important to create authentic and inclusive representation in our books. I personally prefer reading novels with lesser romance, so reading about an ace character would certainly be up my ally! If you have any aro/ace recommendations, be sure to comment them! 

Dos And Don’ts Of Asexual Romance in Fiction

When incorporating asexual romance into your writing, one common misconception to avoid is equating asexuality with a lack of romantic or emotional depth. Asexual individuals are fully capable of experiencing love and forming strong emotional bonds with others. In fact, many asexual individuals prioritize emotional connection in their relationships, seeking partners who understand and respect their orientation.

Asexual characters can serve as compelling protagonists in romantic storylines, offering readers a fresh perspective on relationships that extends beyond the confines of sexual attraction. This requires thoughtful consideration of character development, relationship dynamics, and communication. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Dos:

Research and understand asexuality: Take the time to learn about asexuality and the diverse experiences within the ace community. This will help you create authentic and respectful portrayals of asexual characters.

Focus on emotional intimacy: Highlight the emotional connection between characters, emphasizing shared interests, values, and experiences that deepen their bond.

Explore diverse romantic expressions: Recognize that asexual characters may express love and affection in various ways, from heartfelt conversations to acts of kindness and support.

Incorporate consent and communication: Prioritize clear and open communication between characters, allowing them to discuss their boundaries, desires, and expectations in the relationship.

Include diverse perspectives: Represent a range of asexual experiences in your writing, acknowledging that asexuality intersects with other identities and experiences.

Don'ts:

Fetishize or pathologize asexuality: Avoid portraying asexuality as a novelty or using it as a plot device for shock value. Respect asexual characters as fully realized individuals with agency and autonomy.

Assume asexuality means aromanticism: While some asexual individuals may also identify as aromantic, many experience romantic attraction and desire romantic relationships. Avoid conflating asexuality with aromanticism.

Overemphasize the absence of sex: While sexual activity may not be central to the relationship, focus on the emotional connection and intimacy shared between characters rather than fixating on the absence of sexual activity.

Neglect character development: Give asexual characters depth and complexity beyond their orientation. Explore their backgrounds, motivations, and aspirations to create well-rounded and relatable protagonists.

Ignore feedback from ace readers: Seek feedback from asexual readers and sensitivity readers to ensure your portrayal of asexual characters is accurate, respectful, and affirming.

By approaching asexual romance with sensitivity, empathy, and authenticity, you can create compelling and inclusive stories that resonate with readers across the spectrum of sexual orientations and identities.

Developing Asexual Characters

When crafting asexual characters for your story, it's essential to approach their portrayal with care and authenticity. Asexual individuals, like all people, are multifaceted and unique, and their experiences of love, relationships, and identity can vary widely. Here are some key considerations for developing asexual characters:

Establishing Asexual Identity: Begin by determining your character's asexual identity and how they understand and experience their orientation. Some asexual individuals may have known from a young age that they were asexual, while others may come to understand their identity later in life. Consider how your character's asexuality intersects with other aspects of their identity, such as their culture and personal experiences.

Exploring Romantic Orientation: Asexual individuals can experience a range of romantic orientations, from aromantic to biromantic, panromantic, or heteroromantic. Determine how your character experiences romantic attraction, if at all, and how this aspect of their identity shapes their relationships and interactions with others.

Building Relationships: As you develop your character's relationships, consider how their asexuality influences their approach to romance, intimacy, and partnership. Asexual characters may seek out romantic connections that prioritize emotional intimacy, companionship, and mutual respect over physical attraction. 

Addressing Stereotypes: Avoid falling into common stereotypes or misconceptions about asexuality in your portrayal of asexual characters. While some asexual individuals may lack interest in romantic or sexual relationships, others may actively seek out and engage in romantic partnerships. 

Incorporating Intersectionality: Consider how your character's asexual identity intersects with other aspects of their identity, such as race, ethnicity, disability, or socioeconomic status. Acknowledge the unique challenges and experiences that may arise from these intersections and strive to create nuanced and authentic portrayals of asexual characters.

Creating Asexual Romances

Crafting asexual romances requires a nuanced approach that emphasizes emotional connection, communication, and mutual understanding. Here are some tips for writing compelling asexual romances:

Focus on Emotional Intimacy: In asexual romances, emotional connection takes center stage. Instead of relying on physical attraction or sexual tension to drive the relationship, emphasize the deep emotional bond between your characters. Explore the ways in which they support and care for each other, share intimate moments, and navigate challenges together.

Communicate Openly: Communication is key in any relationship, but it's especially important in asexual romances where partners may have different needs and boundaries. Encourage your characters to communicate openly and honestly about their feelings, desires, and expectations. 

Respect Boundaries: Asexual characters may have unique boundaries and comfort levels when it comes to physical intimacy. Respect your characters' boundaries and preferences, and avoid pressuring them into situations that make them uncomfortable. Focus on building intimacy through non-sexual gestures, such as hand-holding, cuddling, or sharing meaningful experiences together.

Explore Different Relationship Dynamics: Asexual romances can take many forms, from platonic partnerships to committed romantic relationships. Consider the dynamics that best suit your characters and their individual needs and desires. Whether they're best friends who support each other unconditionally or romantic partners who share a deep emotional bond, prioritize authenticity and respect in depicting their relationship.

Challenge Stereotypes: Asexual romances provide an opportunity to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about love and relationships. Avoid portraying asexual characters as emotionless or incapable of love, and instead highlight the richness and complexity of their romantic experiences. 

Embrace Diversity: Asexual characters, like all characters, come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Consider incorporating intersectional identities and perspectives into your romances to reflect the complexity of human relationships.

By approaching asexual romances with sensitivity, empathy, and authenticity, you can create compelling narratives that resonate with readers and challenge conventional notions of love and intimacy.

Crafting Emotionally Charged Romance Scenes

Writing romance scenes that prioritize emotional intimacy over physical interaction can add depth and resonance to your asexual romances. Here are some ideas for creating emotionally charged romance scenes:

Meaningful Conversations: Instead of relying solely on physical gestures or romantic clichés, focus on meaningful conversations between your characters. Use dialogue to explore their innermost thoughts, fears, and desires, and delve into the complexities of their emotional connection. 

Shared Experiences: Create opportunities for your characters to share intimate experiences that strengthen their emotional connection. Whether it's watching a beautiful sunset together, exploring a new city hand in hand, or sharing a quiet moment of reflection in nature, these shared moments can deepen their sense of closeness and build trust between them. 

Vulnerability and Support: Showcasing moments of vulnerability and support can highlight the depth of your characters' emotional bond. Allow your characters to open up to each other about their fears, insecurities, and past traumas, and explore how they offer comfort, reassurance, and understanding in return. 

Gestures of Affection: While physical intimacy may not be a focal point of your romance scenes, you can still incorporate subtle gestures of affection that convey love and tenderness. Consider incorporating acts of kindness, such as cooking a favorite meal, leaving notes of encouragement, or offering a comforting embrace during times of need.

Emotional Resonance: Infuse your romance scenes with emotional resonance by tapping into universal themes of love, longing, and connection. Explore the nuances of your characters' emotions, from the exhilaration of new love to the comfort of familiar companionship, and allow these feelings to permeate every interaction and exchange. 

By prioritizing emotional intimacy and connection in your romance scenes, you can create compelling narratives that celebrate the depth and complexity of asexual relationships. 

I hope this blog on Crafting Asexual Romance and Navigating Emotional Intimacy in Fiction will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and publishing tips for authors every Monday and Thursday! And don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey! 

[bbgliker-teehee]

sorry for the long rant in advance!!

ngl i had (in retrospective way too much) hopes in regards to the portrayal of Christianity in HH. as someone whose mental health was severely affected by bad christian values since i was a child, it could've been such a great concept...but no. (i mean its v*v what are you supposed to expect) i kind of wished for good portrayal of religion being used as an excuse to hate on specific people, how it affects real laws, how sentences/paragraphs of holy scriptures are falsely interpreted, maybe even on purpose, or to hurt people and the hypocrisy behind it all, but also showing that the entirety of Christianity isnt *just* that; people who believe in Christianity like its supposed to be, to work on achieving peace, to be kind and considerate, to help those in need and maybe even love the sinners. And not to judge and hate. If they can portray Hell as shitty as it's meant to be and insist that people like Angel D. should get redemption, they can do the same for the other side? Like the OG idea of redemption was better than what the hell they're trying to do now, the Heaven vs Hell™ thing.. And I'm saying this as an athiest...

One particular idea i had in mind is that Heaven's citizens catch wind of what THEIR belief is used for by the angels & adam and rebel, and maybe even help Charlie by causing a disturbance in Heaven.

another addition: i may not know anything about St. Peter but- holy moly what the fuck is that thing. seriously that design is so uncanny it gives me the creeps. im not suprised they chose the "blonde hair blue eyes" shit either...

As someone who is christian I don't mind the whole "heaven is evil/bad" shit, I actually found it interesting!!!

But making the biblical figures the same ass white boy with (sometimes) a different color palette and head is just straight up gross...

And yeah!, the saints should be empathetic to the sinners, that's what would make them idk......GOOD PEOPLE?!?!?!

(btw I renamed the 'winners' to 'saints' cuz at that point they're just rubbing in the whole "HEAVEN IS FOR WINNERS AND HELL IS GOR LOSERS" bullshit......(and mother mother reference...))

[darkstarofchaos]

Ten years ago today, I posted Chapter One of my first real Transformers fanfic: a delightful little G1 story in which Megatron finally had Starscream reprogrammed, at the behest of Soundwave. It started out okay, but eventually I found myself getting tangled up in plot threads, and every chapter was increasingly more difficult to write than the one before it. In 2020, I finally decided to do what I'd been tempted to do for a while, and discontinued the story - albeit with a promise of a rewrite.

I started this year hoping I would have the rewritten version finished and ready to start posting for the 10th anniversary. When that became an impossibility, I'd hoped I could finish a shorter prequel that I had lying around in my drafts in time. Unfortunately, that didn't work out either. And now this post is what I'm left with for commemoration.

The first version of the story had a lot of issues in the background. One of the biggest, which might not seem like an issue at all to some, is that I knew the characters better from fanfic than from canon. I was inundated in Starscream redemptions where Megatron was an evil rapist and at least some Autobots became sympathetic the moment they discovered that Starscream was being abused. In fact, one of the earliest ideas for the fic in its conception stages was for Starscream to eventually get help from the Autobots (and, yes, for Megatron to be the main villain. Minus the rapey bits, I had no desire to do that).

The thing is, I love canon, and I love rooting my stories in canon. Even in the early chapters, when I had only seen most episodes once, I was making references to Starscream's Brigade, The Revenge of Bruticus, and of course, Fire in the Sky. After Hook inserted himself as a supporting character, I started planning a retelling of events from The Secret of Omega Supreme. A whole minor plotline involved the Decepticons planning to steal the Matter Duplicator from Cosmic Rust. Taking a bunch of unrelated one-shot episodes, some of which contradict each other irreconcilably, and forcing them to exist in one logical narrative, is one of my favorite things about writing fanfic.

Which is why, the more time I spent with canon, the harder it became to write characterizations that no longer felt right.

Starscream, of course, is an example of this. While I don't regret his portrayal after being reprogrammed, the few scenes beforehand take a fairly flat, if admittedly canon-typical approach. He fights with Megatron, he wants leadership. And there's not much to him beyond that. Canon-compliant in the most soulless way possible. But while my approach to him has changed considerably, he's not the one whose characterization feels the most off to me.

I mentioned that Megatron was originally conceived as the main villain. That plan changed early on, with Soundwave taking the role, but Megatron was still meant to be a major antagonist. I leaned into emotional abuse over violence, but he was still terrible to Starscream. He still had him reprogrammed, and still enjoyed having control over him. He cared a little, in his own way, but he was still abusive and cruel.

Here's the thing. I was not comfortable writing Megatron back then. He was freaking intimidating, and I actively avoided writing his POV for three chapters. Every time he interacted with Starscream, it felt too intimate. And this wasn't an erotic story. It wasn't even (explicitly) gay. But he was just not capable of being in the same scene as Starscream without my wanting to depart the premises. And it took me literal years to get past that.

Turns out the solution was to throw up my hands and let them be gay. Yes, your honor, the evil alien robots have an abusive, mutually destructive relationship. They also care about and trust each other in ways that would make no sense to anyone else.

I don't think I need to explain why this creates an issue with the core premise of my story. Figuring out how to make this work has been. Interesting.

Getting anything ready to post for the anniversary didn't happen. But as I mentioned, there's a short prequel in progress, and I plan to have it out sometime before the end of the year. Y'all can find a little sneak peek under the cut if you're interested.

Megatron turned his gaze to Bruticus. "Once we finish reprogramming Bruticus to obey only me, he will be unstoppable." The look on his face as he surveyed his prize said everything. He didn't care about having Starscream back. All he cared about was his powerful new toy. That was all he ever cared about, and Starscream knew that. It had been made so painfully clear on so many occasions that it hadn't even occurred to him to hope for anything else. So why did it still hurt? Starscream looked at Bruticus as well and wondered if he should even bother saying anything else. It seemed pointless. Besides, Megatron had indirectly told him to get back to work. To do otherwise would only make him mad, and Starscream was tired of people being mad at him. If he returned to Earth, everyone would be mad at him. Mad at his actions against the Decepticons, at his being taken back despite those actions, at… everything. He couldn't think of a single bot who wasn't mad at him right now, unless Megatron had truly decided to forgive and forget. And they would stay mad for a long time, in all likelihood. He already deserved it. But he was about to deserve it a whole lot more. "I should get to it, then," he muttered, sinking back down next to Bruticus' head. He hoped Megatron would take the hint and leave him alone, but the warm weight of a hand on one air intake told him he wasn't going to be that lucky. "I wonder," Megatron said, as though the thought had just occurred to him. "How can I trust you to actually do what you're supposed to?" Doubt? He had been praising Starscream for a successful plan not even ten seconds ago and they were already back to doubt? Maybe Starscream should have expected the crumb of approval to be taken away immediately, but like the realization that all Megatron wanted was to control Bruticus, it hurt. "And who would you assign to the task instead?" Starscream asked bitterly. "Shockwave?" "Still jealous?" Megatron said. His thumb slid along the edge of Starscream's intake. "Have you already forgotten that your jealousy is what got us here in the first place?" Starscream hunched his shoulders, staring at Bruticus' exposed processor without seeing it. He hadn’t forgotten anything. Their argument about Shockwave and his own subsequent attack on Megatron was all he’d been able to think about since being cast out from the Decepticons. And he still didn’t understand why he’d been cast out. They argued all the time, and he’d attacked Megatron on numerous occasions. What made that last fight different? What had he done? His chest throbbed. But it wasn’t just emotional hurt this time, or the anxiety that still threatened to build into panic. This was a phantom pain. A reminder that the last time Megatron got mad at him before all this, he’d torn a hole in Starscream’s chest. Whatever had changed - whatever Starscream had done - it had happened a while ago. “Fine,” he muttered tonelessly. “Let Shockwave do it. Who cares.” He made to stand, but his legs buckled, spilling him back to his knees. He caught himself with trembling arms and shut off his optics, head swimming from the sudden drop. Humiliation prickled over his armor, or maybe it was just neural lines shutting down to conserve energy. At this point, he couldn’t tell. Metal creaked beside him and Megatron’s hand settled on his back, gently rubbing along his spinal strut. “You blasted fool,” Megatron scolded, though without much heat. “When was the last time you even had access to fuel?” Starscream was tempted to comment on the barren nature of most asteroids, such as the one Megatron had seen fit to dump him on. But it would be a waste of energy he didn’t have, so he settled for turning his face away, silently rejecting the false concern.

[cactusringed]

An essay justifying drawing characters fat should not have to exist, you're totally right and I think everyone should do whatever they want forever BUT I would love to hear your fat joel thoughts anyway they sound like they would be fun to read.

Even in this day and age of representation in media, fat characters are shockingly under represented. If I asked anyone right now to name fat characters who are 1. Important to a story's plot, 2. NEVER mocked in ANY WAY (whether overt or subtly) for their weight and 3. Whose storyline has nothing to do with their weight.... Well, let's just say that list would be depressingly short.

Whilst it isn't really our job to further representation with fucking Minecraft characters, I think it's always valuable to take that into account, take into account how much it could mean to other people, and how much one can learn.

Joel is a desirable man. One that is considered attractive and charming by several other characters (Lizzie, Jimmy, fucking Iskall now). He's also strong, skilled in combat, and absolutely fucking terrifying. He's capable. He has so many positive character traits so rare in fat characters. When was the last time you saw a fat character that would have people quake in their boots not because they wielded political or financial power (because the fat and rich aristocrat or mob boss is one of the only times we see fat people in power in media and it's never good, using their far as a representation of greed). It would just be such a refreshing portrayal? To have a fat person shown to be skilled, desirable, beautiful, strong? With a complex personality and psyche that does not revolve around their fatness?

But also to bring it to Joel very particularly, I say it all the time but like. His skin is based off Shrek. It USED to be shrek. And shrek is not just an empowerment to those who are seen as different, as not conventionally attractive - it's also very very importantly a fat empowerment. Shrek is fat. Fiona, as an ogre, is... Slightly thicker than as a human (insert grimace about the different expectations of beauty that even make their way into a movie made to combat that). And they're both recognized as valuable not just 'in spite' of that, but BECAUSE of that. Fiona's best, true self is as an ogre that I think was meant to be seen as fat. Shrek himself is definitely shown to be his best self as a fat ogre. Joel himself also fits the values of shrek so well - he's so damn honest and outwards to the point of rude bluntness, he lets his 'ugly side' shine. We all love to incorporate little Easter eggs and fanon headcanon into designs and so many people like to give Joel little shrek antennas to wink at his origins but imo it's kind of weak and has become a pet peeve of mine, which is funny considering the very first time I drew Joel he was also skinny w those antennas, but I think it's because I didn't really 'get' him. If you want to reference his origins as shrek you have to go further than that. You have to make him someone who is attractive, but not in a conventional sense, and who is not just okay with that but embraces it wholly. Or at least idk give him a bigger nose or just anything other than those little antennas. Like. You know. Giving him a body type similar to the character his skin is based off of. Gasps all around

But even without bringing the shrek origin up, like I said - Joel just really hits me as a character who could be empowering for us fatties and, further, I just think it fits his vibes so much more. He's such a force or nature, so utterly and wholly himself, so imposing and strong that to make his design fat, to me, enhances his traits so much more. Like it's just good character design. To me small, skinny Joel really does not encompass his personality and vibes as well. To each their own of course. But I wish more people took that into consideration. Took what fatness can give to your character design. Does that make any sense

[firelxdykatara]

it's actually infuriating in how audacious it is for antis to be like "Actually you nasty little proshippers stole what was a good phrase from the poor people with morality OCD" when they constantly make character judgments on what someone does and doesn't like. Like hm I wonder what actually has more of an impact on how people would view themselves....clearly it's the random orphaned ao3 fic found at 3am and not MY assertion that you're a Bad Person/An Actual Criminal (???) for writing this fucked-up thing not to mention how it's poisoned the well on actual conversations of how portrayals (esp of marginalized ppl) might reinforce existing societal biases. But they sure showed orphan_account on ao3!

Oh 100%, and I fully believe that specific genre of person heavily overlaps with the crowd that believes intrusive thoughts are just 'oh haha what if I ate that leaf on the ground' and not 'vividly imagining doing something horrible which is incredibly distressing because once you have the mental image of like, how easily you could do something nasty to a beloved pet you can't get RID of that picture in your head even though the very thought that it could happen makes you feel sick', since the way they talk about genuine intrusive thoughts and how some people may deal with them (via and outlet such as fiction!) is so harmful and dismissive.

Like yeah, great job, tell the person who struggles with POCD and related intrusive thoughts that just having the thought in their brains means they are an active danger to children, nevermind trying to deal with it through a harmless medium such as fiction where they can get the thoughts out of their brains without doing any harm to themselves or anyone else. That's sure to help and not make things a million times worse for them oh fucking wait.

And obviously like, enjoying these things in fiction even if you aren't trying to Deal With Shit (trauma, intrusive thoughts/OCD, etc) doesn't meant shit either (if someone behaves like a creep then that's one thing, but you can't actually predict 'creep' behavior from the fiction someone enjoys, sorry!), but the people who are dealing with mental illness, trauma, other similar issues via fiction are extremely vulnerable to the kind of damaging shame and self-hatred that anti rhetoric deliberately attempts to inject into fandoms, and that makes the claim that they're trying to 'protect' people laughable, because they don't give a shit about some of the most vulnerable people in fandom spaces and in many cases actively wish harm on them for not 'handling' their issues in a way antis find 'acceptable'.

And all of this is before you get into the fact that, like, yeah, some random fic on Ao3 might not handle its subject matter particularly well, but I can absolutely guarantee that there's some Hollywood blockbuster or major television series or extremely popular book that handles the same subject matter considerably worse. But the people involved in those are usually too rich and inaccessible to be harmed in the ways antis prefer to lash out, so they go after far more vulnerable targets so they have someone they can hurt.

It's bullshit from one end to the other and I am so. fucking. tired.

[blueepink07]

Hello!! I'm always amazed by the sybolism and connections you find -- I was wondering about your thoughts on your favorite/most interesting of the birthday cake art!

THANK YOU, I'm really glad that you like these analyses!!

I know that I have been posting a lot of Muu lately, but her birthday art is my favourite! It's simple and elegant and looks different from the other cakes, which makes it more interesting!

Before starting, I will separate this in sections so it can be easier to read!

1. Cake

2. Accesories and dress

3. Flowers

(mentions of murder, suicide and death)

Cake

Muu's cake is called Galette des Rois, a dessert originated from France and rich in traditions!

"This dish is eaten to celebrate Epiphany which is the day that the newborn baby Jesus was believed to have been visited by the three kings or Wise Men or Magi."

"Inside the cake, a fève or a miniscule trinket is usually hidden. Fève translates into ‘fava bean’ which was originally believed to be hidden in these cakes. Nowadays, a porcelain or plastic figurine representing baby Jesus is often put inside the Galette des Rois instead, a shift believed to have occurred towards the end of the 19th century. The person who gets the slice containing the fève gets a crown as well as the right to be treated as king or queen and choose their queen or king for the entire day."

Based on this description, we can see the similarities between this cake and Muu's Queen bee portrayal in the second MV. Her being shown doing what she pleases, finding comfort in her friend group.

However, before proceeding, it's necesseraly to give a brief history of this tradition and how it evolved over time...

"We traced this tradition of picking up kings back to Antiquity. In those ancient times, during the festivities consecrated to Saturn. Romans used to pick up king between their slaves. During one day this slave would have the luck to live like a master. Luck? Well.. after the day, in the best case he was returning to a state of slave, or he was just put to death. The roles were inverted to thwart the evil days of Saturn."

Awfully familiar, isn't it? The galette des rois it's a good representation of the dynamic in Muu's friend group. Because of how easily she was betrayed, it makes me think that the group was already formed or they knew eachother for a while. Despite that the old tradition tells that a poor person was chosen to be the king, which seems contradicting, because of Muu's financial state, if she were in the vulnerabile position of being new and not having friends, than she could be considered "poor" in terms of relationships. The friend group integrated Muu and started admiring her for the expensive things she had and for her beauty. For a short while, Muu felt like a queen, because of the attention she got at the expense of giving items to her friends. (In an older post I explained that Muu has the love language of giving objects to the persons she cares about!) Based of the phone messages, we find out that she has given an expensive lipstick to one of her friends, followed by Sayu who is expressing her wishes to try it too.

However, once Rei damaged Muu's reputation, the admiration and the "care" these girls expressed meant nothing in the end, followed by Muu's almost killing herself to be freed from the pain.

Basically, if we take in consideration the Galette des Rois tradition, Muu has been given the slice with the fève. She got the crown and have been treated like a queen for a short period of time by her friend group. Once the day was over (when Rei damaged her reputation), this privilege has been taken away from her. She had become nothing but a slave for these girls to make fun of, followed by Muu almost dying to escape from the pain. The same thing that happened to the people who were chosen as kings for a day in the past: being killed.

Gallete des Rois is usually eaten during Epiphany, a celebration that commemorates the visit of the Three Kings or the Three Magis to see the baby Jesus after he was born.

What I want to point out are the gifts that there were given to celebrate his birth, which are foreshadowing his life story.

1. "The gold represents Jesus’ kingship.

2. The frankincense represents Jesus’ deity.

3. Commonly used to embalm bodies, the gift of myrrh foreshadows Jesus’ death."

For Muu:

1. Muu being trated like a queen for a short period of time

2. Muu's great financial status

3. Muu being betrayed by her closest friends and almost dying because of them

Quite similar and interesting at the same time! The fact that the birthday art was foreshadowing Muu's second MV...

Accesories and dress

-> Earrings

Not a lot of symbolism, but more me describing what they represent!

The earrings look a lot like the hourglass from her MVs!

She also has a teardrop coloured in green (the colour of the honey in her MV) representing her pain and sorrow during that period of time, and how with every passing moment she felt more and more suffocated in this horrible "friend" group. For this birthday art however, Muu is crying out of joy, so let's hope that the honey teardrop represents more her happiness during her birthday!

-> Dress

This was written in my latest post...! I didn't change much, since my thoughts about it are the same!

Muu's dress looks similar with Belle's dress from the "Beauty and the beast."

I think it's interesting how the story (not the Disney version) is originated from France. No matter what version you take, Belle saved the beast by reciprocating his feelings and seeing past his appearance, Belle's presence awakening his good inner self.

Somehow, I think it fits with Muu's and Haruka's relationship, in a way. Haruka thinks of Muu as his benefactor, the one who helped him become more confident and cheerful. Although Haruka considers himself as being "useless", Muu saw past this, and found a friend that she can rely on in a weird place like Milgram. She takes care of him bringing him food, prasing him and giving attention, basically, showing kindness.

"Haruka: Muu-san praises me. The useless me… She praises me, acknowledges me, looks at me, and she needs me. My current self only exists thanks to Muu-san."

Her presence and her kindness is one of the factors that contributed in making Haruka feel more confident, changing him. Haruka and the beast are both characters who weren't used to being treated with compassion... And so, the appearance of Muu, respectively, Belle ultimately saved them, based on their perspective and situation.

Also, "Belle" means beautiful in French and Muu is canonically described as gorgeous!

Flowers

The flowers have been found by @oehale on twitter!

->Rosa Rugosa

"Rosa rugosa is a strong symbol of Love and adoration.

Rosa rugosa is associated with the Greek goddess of beauty and love in ancient mythology, Aphrodite. Goddess Aphrodite is often portrayed as having a rose crown on her head."

This flower can represent the friend group's feelings of adoration and awe towards Muu, before the incident that changed their perspective on her.

In the second MV, Muu is in the center of attention, every eye is on her and every worker bee is waiting for her comand. Adoration and loyalty is depicted as the honey which is given to her by the others. This substance is sweet, alluring, like love, a sentiment which can become addicting, until you can't live without it. The fact that the honey is more green than yellow, can symbolise the superficiality of the "love" and "adoration" that the friend group has given to Muu. The second MV illustrates how Muu escaped from this intoxicating addiction of eating this honey (towards the end she is eating less and less, until she literally escapes from the honey, without consuming it), flying away from the hourglass, the place where she once felt safe and happy, which now is just an empty, broken space.

Rosa rugosa, in the language of flowers, means sad and beautiful. Sorrow and pain are sentiments that Muu felt during the time she was bullied. Sadness was a daily thing at one point, the girl wishing that tomorrow will not come, so she would not experince it again. Beauty it's one of the aspects that made her to be so adored by her peers, and also one of the factors that, due to jealousy, made her a target of bullying.

Moreover, the presence of the teardrops on her earrings, and the way she is drawn, as a queen, elegant and pretty, further illustrates this symbolism.

-> Penstemon

"These flowers are also known by the name beardtongue. This one is supposed to mean gentle courage or risks of the heart."

Penstemon is a representation of Muu's sorrow and pain and how she escaped from it. Being pushed to the point were she felt trapped in an awful situation, where she couldn't ask for help, her pleads being ignored, she managed to escape my eliminating the source of her problems. A risk of heart done in a moment of disperation, in which, once again, her feelings were not listened or taken into consideration, which ended up with Rei's death.

Courage for finding a solution to her problems, in a place where she only had herself as a friend, and avoiding, in the end, to succumb to those inner feelings which were pushing her to wish of her own dissapearence.

"Penstemon provides great strength, courage, and perseverance during challenging life circumstances. If you are feeling sorry for yourself, you may benefit from taking this flower essence. Those who have been through unusually hard circumstances may feel more ease and grace after taking Penstemon. Those circumstances could include the loss of something special, which causes a soul to lose faith and feel pity or intense despair. Penstemon brings about more courageous energy for that soul, rebuilding it with feelings of trust and hope."

After murdering Rei, she finally felt relief, hoping that things will turn to better and be as it was before. She is feeling sorry for herself and what she has experienced, in the first VD, being unsure of her actions that lead her to this point...

"It looks like each flower is sticking a bearded tongue out of its mouth, which is why we also call them “beardtongues.”

This distinctive aspect of this flower can symbolise Muu's pleads and cries which ended up being ignored by her peers and adults... She tried to alert people of her pain, but it seems like, no one has cared enough to help her to escape from this circumstance...

Thank you for reading! ~ 🎂

[myfriendsdontlikehomestuck]

Dirk analysis for funsies

Dirk Strider is a character defined by poor self-image and loss of self. Of course, this is all related to his title. He must shatter his personality across timelines as the destroyer of self.

The primary manifestation of self-destruction is in his splinters, specifically Hal. Hal is a window into what Dirk could have been. Hal is Dirk. With his 13-year-old mentality, a dangerous possibility considering the fragility of Dirk’s mindset. Dirk’s entire character is about not being, similar to a void player. With Hal in the picture, that wall of void is amplified. Beginning at Dirk’s introduction, Hal lies continuously to the Alpha Kids, mostly Jake. The purpose is to deceive, and considering that Hal is a near-perfect replica of Dirk’s brain, it’s not a difficult feat to accomplish.

The issue with Hal comes from the repetition of his behavior. Unlike Dirk, Hal is predictable and calculable. Dirk detests the predictability of being human and goes out of his way to be surprising. Dirk has a mind for logistics, but not like a robot. Hal’s flaw is that he is in no way human and will never be human.

Dirk struggles with this in life, though to a less extreme extent. Since he is human, Dirk fights with personalization. He has seen all these different versions of himself, some terrible people. Dirk’s struggle with his identity comes from knowing all the other identities presented. He has no sense of himself, seeing that he has been strewn across timelines and will never be one solid thing.

Dirk is a profoundly pessimistic person. He is harmful to himself and, on occasion, others. He has caused physical harm to himself to further his plans and caused mental damage to others. Dirk cares about his friends deeply but is unaware of what may or may not be harmful to them, as his devotion to his plans blinds him. When Dirk decapitated himself, it was for a purpose. It was for a strategy that worked. However, in the process, he exposed his closest friends to his dead decapitated head, voiced by a robotic version of himself.

The issue of being influenced by a robot is the lack of consideration for others and the psychological effects it may invoke. Hal is utterly inconsiderate, and when Dirk listens to his plans, it causes him to lose all sympathy for the situation he is placing his friends in. Dirk is not easily influenced, but he can’t argue with logic. In his attempt to pursue reason, he loses empathy, sympathy, and understanding.

Dirk’s self-destructive behaviors also turn his friends away from him. He effectively sabotages his relationships to be perceived as logical and infallible. This shield of reason is a driving force, though it also drives others away. His friends, especially Jake, detest the side of Dirk that simply pushes for results without a second thought.

Dirk drives Jake away from him with his consistent apathy and pushes him further with the clinginess he exhibits once Jake closes off. Dirk wanted Jake to always be there for him without considering how he may feel about Dirk’s stunts.

Dirk is not a manipulator, but a dumb child who grew up in the middle of an ocean. Dirk never had anyone around for him, and because of that, he grows clingy but self-destructive. He believes he is an immoral person, but he isn’t. He is blinded by logic, reason, and emotional instability. Dirk completely loses himself without an emotional anchor, and the anchor in his life has consistently been Roxy.

As such vastly different characters, Dirk and Roxy are perfect anchors for one another. Dirk’s straight-headed logic contrasted with Roxy’s fun-loving ditziness. Roxy tends not to think some things through, and Dirk has the opposite problem. Roxy is emotionally wise, while Dirk doesn’t know his emotions or those of the people around him.

Roxy and Dirk are children who grew up without people or guardians, but historical figures they followed in the footsteps of. For Dirk, this meant he had nothing but fake portrayals of people on a screen. Roxy was left with complex narratives and alcohol. They are both children who are deeply flawed but balance each other out.

We see that Dirk and Roxy have one of the best relationships in the entire comic. Dirk encourages Roxy to stay sober, while Roxy encourages Dirk to live a little more. Roxy’s persistence in Trickster Mode directly contrasts Dirk’s inability to be affected. Dirk needs the emotional stability that Roxy provides, and Roxy needs his logic.

[puckish-rogue-archive-deux]

I've been thinking a lot as of late about Django's skill set, and the almost nightmarish reality of the type of violence and destruction he's capable of committing all on his very own. I'll probably make this into a more structured and proper HC post in the future. But for now, I just kinda want to ramble about this for a second because I don't think I've really had the opportunity to fully display just what kind of a one-man wrecking crew/army he is.

Talk to anyone who's a fan of SR and takes pride in their own version of The Boss, and they will tell you what sort of aspects they really lean into when depicting them in writing, art, or anything remotely creative. For me, aside from wanting to really explore the whole idea of a customizable character and that disconnect from most people, I really leaned into the more violent aspects that make up the character. And that's because when you stop and think about it, the sort of things that The Boss is able to accomplish throughout the original series—at least on their own—is really fucking astounding. And even more so terrifying.

You can make the argument that the original iteration of the Saints wouldn't have gotten to the point they did if The Boss hadn't come in and just carried the load, and got their hands as dirty as they did. Which isn't to say that everyone else wasn't pulling their weight. But it's clear to me that anything that was remotely significant was handed off to this random kid who got swept into the gang life. And when I apply that to my portrayal, Django starts to come across as almost relentless whenever there's work for him to do.

Said relentlessness can also be applied to how he handles the work he receives, or really, any sort of task at hand. He is goal-oriented. He is focused, despite what he may lead you to believe. A plan may fall apart and make it seem as if you need to go back and reconsider your approach. Not for Django. He will finish the task at hand by any means necessary. Even if wanton destruction is left in his wake. He is the human equivalent of the nastiest hurricane you could ever imagine. And he's got the body count and property damage to back that title up.

Let's talk about violence for a second. The guy loves it. Fighting in general gets his blood pumping, and his adrenaline spiking higher and higher. He is a sick freak that enjoys hurting his enemies and fighting tougher opponents just to better his own skills. Whenever he REALLY starts to get into a fight, I would equate it to a dog being let off a leash and getting zoomies. He's basically frenzied, and more than ready to put someone down if it comes to that.

And when I think about that kind of attitude, plus the way he can seemingly go through wave after wave of enemies, it really begins to paint a picture of what that may look like to an outside observer. Or hell, anyone for that matter, regardless of what side they're on. Like, it wouldn't surprise me if, as the years go on, people just made up ghost stories about the guy. Sure, he's prolific as hell. But you can't imagine what kinds of things he gets up to whenever there isn't a news camera on him. Plus, I would think that with everything he and the gang have accomplished, that anyone in the big leagues—whether it be in the criminal underworld, or from law enforcement—would take heavy consideration as to how to approach the guy given what he's able to do.

We're talking about someone here who has not only toppled several different gangs with varying degrees of influence and power, but gone up against cops, SWAT teams, the FBI, and even people who are as close to the honest-to-god military as possible.

I really don't have a proper way to end this because it was meant to be a long ramble in the first place. But man, I don't know. There's just a lot to consider about what Django's reputation would be throughout the world in his own canon. And this also goes for crossovers, AU's, all sorts of things. His penchant for violence is something that will be on full display no matter what the playing field may be when writing the guy. And I just hope people keep that in mind whenever we plot stuff out, or just have discussions in general.

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Mr. and Mrs. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)

Favorite thing about them: They're both funny characters in their different ways: Mr. Bennet intentionally, Mrs. Bennet unintentionally.

Least favorite thing about them: Well, they're both basically terrible parents to their daughters and terrible spouses to each other. Mrs. Bennet's own foolish behavior makes all the troubles she worries about much worse, while Mr. Bennet's habit of doing nothing except mocking it all is both unkind and irresponsible.

On a meta level, I do sometimes wonder if Austen's portrayal of Mrs. Bennet shows classism (since her socially ignorant behavior stems at least in part from her lower-class background – although her brother Mr. Gardiner doesn't share her faults), and/or internalized misogyny (while Mr. Bennet's flaws are made clear, we never quite lose the sense that Mrs. Bennet is meant to be seen as worse). I understand why so many readers think her portrayal is unfair and mean-spirited, though I'm not sure if I agree.

Three things I have in common with them:

Mrs. Bennet:

*I can be neurotic.

*I can be over-enthusiastic.

*I sometimes make social faux pas.

Mr. Bennet:

*I prefer reading to socializing.

*I can be irresponsible, especially with money.

*I like Elizabeth Bennet.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

Mrs. Bennet:

*I'm not a middle-aged British woman.

*I'm not married and don't have children.

*If I had daughters, even if I lived in Georgian England, I would rather they stay single than be married to the likes of Mr. Collins or Wickham.

Mr. Bennet:

*I'm not a middle-aged British man.

*I'm less witty than he is.

*If I had children, I would remember my duties to them.

Favorite line:

Mr. Bennet:

"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least."

"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do."

Mrs. Bennet:

"Nobody can tell what I suffer! But it is always so. Those who do not complain are never pitied."

brOTP: Mr. Bennet: His favorite daughter Elizabeth, if anyone. Mrs. Bennet: Her sister Mrs. Phillips, and her favorite daughter Lydia.

OTP: Each other, if only because that's what they deserve. Ideally, though, other people whom they never met.

nOTP: Any of their daughters or their daughters' husbands.

Random headcanon: Mrs. Bennet's first name is Jane. Just because the 1995 miniseries calls her "Fanny" doesn't make that name canon, and in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was common for one daughter in a family, usually the eldest, to be named after her mother.

Unpopular opinion: We don't need to choose whether to side with Mr. Bennet or Mrs. Bennet. This isn't a case of "one is right, the other is wrong" or "one is the good parent, the other is the bad parent." They both have sympathetic qualities, yet they both have glaring faults that nearly ruin their daughters' futures too. The old-school viewpoint of "Mr. Bennet is the likable, sensible parent; Mrs. Bennet is an idiot" and the more recently popular viewpoint of "Mrs. Bennet is just trying to secure her daughters' futures; Mr. Bennet is the bad parent" are both faulty and reductive.

Song I associate with them: None.

Favorite picture of them:

This illustration:

And this one:

Mary Boland and Edmund Gwenn in the 1940 film (dressed in costumes from the wrong time period, but I couldn't resist the sight of Hollywood's iconic Santa Claus from the original Miracle on 34th Street looking very unlike Santa as Mr. Bennet):

Benjamin Whitrow and Alison Steadman in the 1995 BBC miniseries:

Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn in the 2005 film:

[reginrokkr]

Before I say anything, I want to preface that this post isn't meant to throw shade at the character this is about, more so about the direction the company takes with her and a suspicion of mine as for what that reason may be that will be addressed soon.

As I mentioned before, I was looking through content related to Jinhsi in order to make more posts about her —headcanons or otherwise— until I've come across the lines dedicated to Jinhsi through Sanhua's stories / voicelines. This in combination with my reflections on the story (the first part to be precise, when Jinhsi announces her official absence) made me realize that there are a few irregularities when it comes to the direction Kuro made her have.

Starting from the fact that she's Jinhsi's bodyguard, her personal one most accurately said. It's no surprise that anyone of high standing that has a personal bodyguard will have a deeper bond with them than just that and so is Jinhsi's case with her (it's crystal clear to me that Jinhsi cares a lot about Sanhua, to the point where she's an agreed topic of conversation with Changli in which both think she should take it easier, or that instance in one of her stories where Jinhsi introduces herself in one of her nightmares in order to bring her some peace of mind), but there are a few things that are off to me.

Like the fact that she's trusted with paperwork. By this I don't mean to say that Sanhua isn't capable of dealing with it, I'm sure she is. But that would be work out of her scope as a bodyguard. Given that Changli was also setting off Jinzhou at the same time as Jinhsi did, it would be, perhaps, the most adequate to do to entrust one of the people who she has to ask for permission when she wants to implement certain decisions— as it is known that in Jinzhou at least they count with a political system hard for corruption to spring due to the implication of more figures than just the leader. Even more so assuming that said figures might be older and with more years of experience on their backs.

Moreover, there is also this line in particular that makes it inappropriate to me, once again, because Sanhua is her bodyguard. If she were Jinhsi's retainer that might make more sense for her to be concerned about matters like this one, but not in this particular case. One could argue that Jinhsi and Sanhua are friends or their relationship borders a genuine friendship and I would agree with this, but this in particular would be even more awkward if we consider that Sanhua would act this way in a political building. Perhaps it'd make more sense for Changli given that she's Jinhsi's mentor and mentorships tend to be more personal, but not this. An easy example I can think of is of Noctis, Ignis and Gladiolus from FFXV, where Gladiolus is the bodyguard (who also taught Noctis to fight) and Ignis the retainer. There is a crystal clear separation of duties there that, if applied to WuWa, is oddly mixed into Sanhua.

Where I want to get with all of this is to say that in my portrayal of Jinhsi, she will entrust Sanhua with the duties she has a bodyguard but not other things like paperwork or anything that concerns political matters. It's saddening how strange all of this was to me when I began to think about it in more detail because I like their relationship, but I can't help but think that some of these decisions are for plain fanservice purposes that won't be taken in consideration in this blog.