#devalue and discard

[harrycosmo]

Officer Pete Davis is just dreamy, but then psychopaths often are.

Ray Liotta's Officer Pete in Unlawful Entry (1992) is very well-written. He wants to take Karen (Madeleine Stowe) away from Michael (Kurt Russell) and he is in fact impotent without that sense of victory over someone he's insecure about. He infantilises and emasculates Michael having first become a trusted friend which makes it that much more difficult for Michael to resist being identified in that humiliating way. Michael manages to listen to his instinct that something is wrong and Pete begins to torment Michael into anti-social behaviour while being charming and unobjectionable. He can always claim his intentions were friendly when he crosses boundaries and often he can even defend his actions with a reminder that Michael had actually said that he wanted this or that thing to happen - in each case, Michael had quite obviously just been speaking casually.

Michael is onto him first and Karen thinks he’s overreacting - people are usually quicker at spotting dodgy behaviour in members of their own sex, perhaps because of background intrasexual competition that underlies nearly all social interactions - but he is eventually able to get her to see it. Any woman who Pete fails to seduce is devalued as a whore and discarded. Karen ends up having to play along with his delusion in order to avoid being killed.

Unlawful Entry came out the same year as The Hand that Rocks the Cradle which features a female psychopath employing similar tactics and who is just as deadly.

[bookwyrminspiration]

when you make a point and then someone goes "yeah! I agree that *a completely different misinterpretation of your point that they missed entirely*" like. dude. that wasn't at all what I said where did you even get that

[god-of-knk]

Like. I'm only allowed to enjoy talking to two individuals at once. If I add another one to that mix, then one of the others becomes boring. I would like that not to happen but I don't have any say in it and neither do they. It just fucking happens.

[schizoish]

I want to say that if you're indifferent to someone's wellbeing and you don't actually like and value them* (eg if you have impaired empathy toward them), or if you think it's likely you'll only like and value them for a short time [eg that you'll idealize them, starting treating them worse ("devalue"), and then discard them], it might be worth making sure the person knows that these are things to be wary of if they continue interacting with you.

If their default reaction is to initially perceive you as not being indifferent to their wellbeing, some may feel tricked/betrayed/double-crossed that you masked your indifference. And they might not have the reactions that you prefer if/when they find out they're tricked/betrayed/double-crossed. They might feel upset, angry, affronted. And they might not be as cooperative as they were before with you.

Obviously disclosure about anything about yourself is up to you (*insert rhetoric here*: you don't even have to tell anyone what your favourite colour is), but I wanted to add this disclaimer.

((& ofc not everyone will gaf in every situation, but the more you interact with someone, the less acceptable it may be to them that you aren't correcting their false interpretation of your actions, thoughts, emotions, feelings, intentions, etc.))

*independent of how useful they are to you

people who are good and kind and uplifting and say and do nice things for other people, solely for the purpose of gaining attention or upholding your reputation, i love you, and you still are good people.

i don't care if you're seething with anger or jealousy or hatred inside whilst you do the nice things. you're still a good person. i don't care if you're constantly criticising the other person in your head whilst you do nice things. you're still a good person. i don't care if the entire time you help someone or say something nice you're constantly thinking about yourself or how much you want them to say something nice back or only doing the good thing to get praise or for your own sense of achievement. you're still a good person. i don't care if you're messy or find it extremely hard to do nice things for others and in general. you're. still. a. good. person.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

This is how a narcissist keeps you hooked. ☠️

📹: tarnetwork

[ruminate88]

We Both Loved Him

My biggest issue with my ex, Andrew, is we both loved him and there was no one to love me… not even me, sadly. I put Andrew’s needs before my own. He got me attached after his love-bombing and bread-crumbing. I never knew such things existed back then. I only knew there was a ton of “fog” between us but couldn’t seem to make sense of any of it. I was majorly obsessed with Andrew and when we weren’t texting, I was day dreaming of him and re-reading our old text and staring at pictures I had saved from Snapchat and Instagram! I was sick and Andrew was my drug!!! 🤒

After v-day of 2015, when Andrew first started to seem really cold towards me, I had a very bad feeling he was lying to me and cheating on me too but I was afraid to accept what my gut was telling me. Andrew now had me in what I believe to be the “devaluation phase” which lasted for a couple months!! He was still doing intermittent reinforcement too! At random times, Andrew would be super hot towards me and romantic but then turn around and ignore me for hours which eventually turned into days!! Sometimes I wouldn’t hear from him for 2/3 days, I would be sitting next to my phone crying and confused but then he would always randomly text me again with “Hey Babe 😘” and my heart would leap for joy!! I would always always text him back so excited but question what’s going on and he always had excuses to “how busy school is” and “how hard he’s studying.” Andrew would cry to me his parents were so strict and he was afraid to fail his classes….

Especially on weekends, I was most vulnerable. Most Friday nights he was at the fraternity house partying and would Snapchat me from there at like 3am with “hey” no emojis, nothing else just a selfie of him alone and I would wonder where was everyone else, why was he sitting alone at a party and why was he hiding me??? I would respond back to his snap but THEN he wouldn’t respond back again till later next day in the afternoon and tell me how tired he is…. I would try to understand hm and not push him because he had me walking on eggshells, afraid to push him away but I was starting to get fed up with waiting on him. I kept asking myself if he’s truly so “busy with school” and he still had 2 more years left, would I be able to handle it?

Eventually I started sending Andrew big long text, expressing my feelings about how I’m always waiting to get to talk to him and spend time but he’s seemingly so busy all the time. He cried to me every time how hard school was and how he didn’t think he was able to pass his classes and was worried to upset his parents. He made me feel sorry for him but he was also hurting me so much by constantly ignoring me and then randomly would show me attention and would be romantic when I least expected. He would always tell me he was sorry he was so busy that he was going to try to change and do better by me… NOTHING changed though. I would even ask him if he just wanted “to be friends only” so he could focus on school since he was “sooooo busy” but Andrew would always tell me I was his priority and he did not want to break up!! One day he had a snow day at school and I only knew it because he tweeted it… I was disappointed he hadn’t texted me back from the evening before. I waited and waited so beside myself THEN he randomly sent me a Snapchat of himself naked in his shower saying “hey babe, sorry I have been studying all day.” I tried to believe him and I was so excited he not only messaged me but sent me a nude too. Andrew also sent me another one and said “I missed you soooooo much!! I really wish you were here! I need a break from studying!” I thought we were gonna talk and cyber sex but then he took hours again to respond…. Clearly he was messing with me but I just didn’t understand it all.

One Sunday morning he text me that “he was going to be in a study group and not be on his phone” and was trying to tell me basically he needed to be away from me a few hours BUT the way he worded it, I thought for sure he was trying to say he needed space…. I freaked out because he had me attached, terrified to lose him and the way he was always ignoring me anyway, I just assumed he wanted space from me. I ended up sending him 2 and 3 long paragraphs about how I feel, how I fear he doesn’t love me and he’s too busy for me. I’m basically spilling my guts out to him, begging him for reasons to the rhyme. NOTHING was adding up to me or changing!! Andrew finally wrote back to me and said he was not trying to break up with me, he just wanted space while he was in his study group and told me I was his still his priority and he still didn’t want to break up HOWEVER, it really felt to me that he did. I felt he was not into me anymore like he was before V-day but I couldn’t quite explain it.

It got worse from there. Andrew’s responses to me got shorter, less, it was extremely hard to get him to spend any time talking to me and his snaps got less too. Still he would randomly turn around and be romantic again and cyber sex with me. At this point, I was really becoming drained because I felt all I did was sit tied to my phone waiting and praying for him to text me and then when he would, I was worried about what to say back. I was trying anything and everything to keep him interested in me but it was just too late!! He had been pulling away (which is what a narcissist does after love bomb) and nothing I could do to stop him!! I began to Google my brains out over him, trying to get answers. I had the horrible gut feeling that Andrew was cheating. I felt there was other girls involved but I couldn’t be for sure.

Then it was time for his exams and that’s all he talked about. He would cry to me he’s gotta study, so I would tell him to focus on it and that we could just be friends. That would upset him and he would say to me he doesn’t wanna do that but why can’t I accept how busy he is and basically just sit and wait … ? I would tell him I missed him and just wanted to be with him that I loved him and didn’t understand why that’s so bad but I would tell him I didn’t like how stressed he was to basically not dump all his stress on me and if he was too busy for me, dump me please. Don’t keep me hanging constantly but he would get more and more upset at me, typing in caps to me, saying he can’t help it that he’s not trying to purposely put his stress on me just that he’s afraid to fail his exams. He would try to make me feel bad and guilty and wanted me to be too nervous to break up with him because he would get extremely defensive towards me but yet wouldn’t have conversation with me, kept saying how he had to focus on studying for his exams. It was becoming too confusing for me and I was close to breaking down with him!! Nothing positive I said helped him and it didn’t matter how much I poured out my feelings for him, he was just upset all the time. Upset when I bothered him and upset if I tried to break up. I remember going back and forth with him one night he was telling me it was going to be a bad week at school that he doesn’t have time for anything outside of studying and homework and I begged him to spare me. Begged him to break up with me so he could free himself and he just got so defensive and wouldn’t apologize to me for the way he was making me feel so bad about myself BUT said he wasn’t trying to give me all his stress, basically said he didn’t know how to deal with his stress. I tried so hard to be loving and understanding but I felt he just wasn’t accepting my help. Just treating me like “you don’t understand how hard college is” type deal.

I googled him like mad crazy trying to get answers. I had found his mom’s Facebook too and had been stalking it because she had so many baby pictures of Andrew AND I was trying to understand who Andrew was. His mom appeared normal to me at the time and the family photos she posted seemed normal too!! I was beyond worried and confused who Andrew was and what was his intentions!! I finally confessed to him one night that I found his mom’s Facebook, that I had been looking at his baby pictures AND HE FREAKED OUT! I was so shocked. He told me I had no business looking at her Facebook and that I was not allowed to add her as a friend!!!!!! I told Andrew that I didn’t even use Facebook, I was only looking at it for fun. He then said it was ok BUT told me he was not ready for “all that”. Even though I’m supposed to be his girlfriend and he doesn’t ever wanna break up, yet I’m not allowed to view his moms Facebook?? It was weird… Worse, I could sense he was still upset about it and I APOLOGIZED FOR IT!!! (How stupid was I???) Andrew told me that it was ok but that I scared him over it all but he wasn’t upset even though he freaked out towards me and promised me everything was fine. It didn’t feel fine though, he felt ice cold to me and I wasn’t sure how long I could last. It felt like he was making the relationship miserable. 🥺

I had been crying to my online friends how much I worried Andrew was lying to me and cheating on me but I wouldn’t leave him. Andrew consistently promised me he didn’t wanna break up that everything was going to get better but it never did and I found myself on the edge. One of my friends from Seattle, named Bri, kept saying I shouldn’t trust him and I should know for sure if he’s cheating. She even said she would text him for me to find out the truth but I asked her please don’t do that to let me figure it all out myself. Naturally Bri went against my wishes and started texting Andrew behind my back trying to get answers for me. She ended up texting him off and on for A WHOLE MONTH behind my back and I had no idea about it. I was completely in the dark.

next came the “discard phase” and it was super messy and brutal 😢 It will be hard to talk about in my next post because it makes no sense and it’s super hurtful but it’s part of my story!!

[punishedgwyndolin]

like yeah 100% there are white trans women crying about how people discard and are cruel to them and harm them while none listen and no one tries to believe them, do we think this could maybe be because she’s been abandoned and harmed by transmisogynistic people close to her refusing to trust her or give her any grace, a systemic problem with how people interact with and devalue trans women as a group? no? no it’s just a white woman thing? she’s karenpilled for dreaming of a world where she can let her guard down for a couple seconds? ok 👍

edit: this is about the insanity calling patty tax a karen and white for saying she was uncomfortable around men and the consistent excuse of race criticism to be transmisogynistic, and the whitejacketing of transfems of color. stop being fucking insane

[blackstarlineage]

What It Means to Be an Unapologetic Black Person: A Garveyite Perspective

Introduction: The Battle for Black Self-Respect

Marcus Garvey once declared:

“Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will!”

This was not just a slogan—it was a call to action for Black people to rise without fear, without hesitation, and without apology.

To be an unapologetic Black person from a Garveyite perspective means to:

Reject white approval as the standard for success.

Prioritize Black self-determination, not assimilation.

Embrace Black history, identity, and culture without shame.

Fight for Black power, not just symbolic representation.

It means standing boldly, unapologetically, and fearlessly in a world that has tried to erase, weaken, and silence Black voices.

It means rejecting the “respectability politics” that demand that black people make themselves smaller, quieter, and less revolutionary to be accepted.

It means being 100% committed to Black empowerment, no matter the cost.

1. Being Unapologetically Black Means Controlling Your Own Destiny

Rejecting the Need for White Validation

Many Black people are conditioned to believe that success is measured by how much white society accepts them.

They believe that getting into white schools, white jobs, or white social circles means they have "made it."

They believe that being "non-threatening" will protect them from racism.

But history has proven:

Even the most “well-behaved” Black people have been lynched, disrespected, and discarded.

Even the most educated Black professionals are still treated as inferior in white spaces.

Even Black people who “play the game” are still seen as outsiders.

Garveyite Perspective: True success is when Black people control their own institutions—schools, businesses, banks, media, and land—not when they are simply "allowed" to exist in white spaces.

2. Being Unapologetically Black Means Prioritizing Black Interests First

Understanding That Black People Have No Permanent Friends—Only Interests

Many Black people believe in coalitions with other racial and ethnic groups under the label of "POC" (People of Color).

They believe that because other groups face discrimination, they are natural allies in the fight against white supremacy.

But history has shown that these alliances rarely benefit Black people.

Non-Black POC communities have a long history of anti-Black racism while benefiting from the Civil Rights Movement.

Many non-Black communities build wealth by exploiting Black people (e.g., non-Black businesses dominating Black neighbourhoods).

When it comes to power and resources, other groups prioritize their own before helping Black people.

Garveyite Perspective: Black people must focus on our own survival, prosperity, and self-determination—not waste time chasing empty alliances.

3. Being Unapologetically Black Means Owning & Defending Black Identity

Rejecting Eurocentric Beauty Standards & Embracing African Culture

White supremacy has conditioned many Black people to hate their own features, history, and traditions.

Many Black people feel ashamed of their dark skin, African names, and natural hair because society devalues them.

Many still believe that lighter skin, European features, and straight hair are superior.

Example: Black celebrities and influencers often change their appearance to fit Eurocentric beauty standards to be accepted in white-dominated industries.

Garveyite Perspective: Black beauty, culture, and identity must be celebrated unapologetically. We should not adjust ourselves to fit into a system that was built to exclude us.

4. Being Unapologetically Black Means Building & Supporting Black-Owned Institutions

Rejecting Economic Dependency on Non-Black Businesses

Many Black people continue to spend billions supporting white-owned corporations while Black businesses struggle.

Many Black communities are controlled by non-Black store owners who do not reinvest in the Black community.

Many Black people believe that Black-owned businesses are less trustworthy or "low quality" unless white people validate them.

Example: Black people made Nike and Gucci rich, but these brands do nothing for Black empowerment.

Garveyite Perspective: Economic power is the foundation of real freedom. Black people must circulate wealth within their own communities first before letting it leave.

5. Being Unapologetically Black Means Defending & Honouring Revolutionary Black Leaders

Respecting the Warriors Who Fought for Black Liberation

Many Black people celebrate white-approved figures while ignoring or demonizing real revolutionaries.

Schools teach MLK’s "I Have a Dream" speech but ignore his later calls for economic justice and Black self-defense.

Black leaders like Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Assata Shakur are often erased or vilified.

Example: White media promotes a weak version of MLK while erasing his critiques of capitalism and the U.S. imperialism.

Garveyite Perspective: Black liberation requires revolutionary leadership, not just symbolic "safe" figures who make white people comfortable.

6. Being Unapologetically Black Means Promoting Black Family & Community Strength

Rejecting White Narratives About Black Dysfunction

The media pushes the idea that Black relationships are weak, Black fathers are absent, and Black families are broken.

The truth is, Black families have been under attack for centuries—from slavery to mass incarceration.

Black love, Black marriage, and Black family unity are powerful acts of resistance.

Example: Black families who practice group economics (investing together) are more likely to achieve generational wealth.

Garveyite Perspective: Strong Black families create strong Black communities. Black love and unity must be protected at all costs.

7. Being Unapologetically Black Means Preparing for Black Self-Defense

Understanding That No One Respects the Powerless

History proves that unarmed, defenceless Black communities are the first to be exploited, terrorized, or erased.

Every powerful nation or group has some form of military or armed protection—except Black communities.

Integration and nonviolence alone have never stopped white violence against Black people.

Example: When Black communities defended themselves (e.g., Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, the Deacons for Defence, the Black Panthers), they were seen as a threat because they had real power.

Garveyite Perspective: A free people must be able to defend themselves politically, economically, and physically.

Final Thought: Unapologetic Blackness is About Power, Not Just Pride

Marcus Garvey did not teach empty slogans or feel-good speeches. He built:

The largest Black movement in history (UNIA).

The Black Star Line, an international Black-owned shipping company.

A Pan-African vision for global Black unity and economic control.

To be unapologetically Black is to:

Build wealth, land, and institutions—not just talk about oppression.

Prioritize Black people first—not chase fake "diversity."

Control your own narrative—not seek white approval.

Defend Black identity, Black history, and Black power at all costs.

The Question Is: Are You Ready to Be Unapologetically Black?

Are you focused on empowerment or just survival?

Are you investing in Black futures or making white corporations rich?

Are you building real power or just talking about Black pride?

Because Black power requires action—not just identity.

[lumi-waxes-poetic]

re: the Neil Gaiman shit

In light of recent revelations, it is very likely you or someone in your circle is seriously rethinking their relationship to Neil Gaiman's books.

That's perfectly natural. But if I might offer a word of advice (which of course you may do what you like with, I'm not god)?

If his books ever meant something to you growing up, and some part of you, no matter how small, refuses to let them go? That's okay. Don't devalue or burn cherished things just because the Author is a Horrible Person.

God only knows that if that were the requirement, we'd have little left to enjoy in the world.

If you feel the need to have a reckoning with your bookshelf, do not let my words stop you. Keep or discard his books at your own recognizance. Just remember that he is merely the author of these books: he is not the books themselves. If ever his books communicated something Good and True to you, do not feel pressured to throw that Good and True thing away just because the source was less good than you thought it was.

Despite his(overwhelmingly probable) guilt, Neil is ALSO one of the genuinely best writers we've had in DECADES. This will understandably complicate his legacy. As much as we like things to be simple, people are often multiple things simultaneously, and we often will dislike or even hate some of those things.

Was Neil being a hypocrite when he supported feminist and LGBTQIA+ causes while also being a huge... <gestures to all the allegations>? Very definitely. But I don't want to see the genuine strides his support helped make possible fall away just because his hypocrisy was revealed. I don't want to see people ignore or undermine the frankly EXCELLENT MESSAGES in a lot of his books just because the author didn't live up to the standards he wrote about.

This isn't about absolving Neil in the slightest. I hope he gets whatever justice he's due. But don't punish yourself arbitrarily for it. If you have decided that now is the time to move on from his books forever, I don't blame you. If you decide to keep reading his books and they inspire you to be a better person than him, that's just as awesome. Spite that sunnuvabitch with his own works.

It is my hope that people can and will continue to enjoy his stories, and take home from them some excellent messages, long after he faces justice for his actions as a person. He wouldn't be the first author whose works were forgiven long after his personal harms were done; literary history is replete with such individuals -- Lord Byron, Virginia Woolfe, Robert E. Howard, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Vladimir Nabokov, etc. The list goes on and on for as long as one wishes to peruse it. Their problematic acts as people cannot and should not be ignored, but neither can nor should their works. Perhaps Neil Gaiman is in good company, then, as we add his name to that list. A brilliant author, with brilliant works to his name, but a far less than brilliant man.

Only you can decide how your relationship with the books you have read will work out. You alone have the power to determine what authors you read and whose works shall adorn your bookshelves.

Don't let the crowd tell you what you're allowed to read, but perhaps don't discount the crowd's opinion out of hand on this one either. They do, after all, have a point.

[doubledeadstudio]

Answering two asks in one posts because they're both related.

There will be no cheating subplots in the RH base game. (And it won't be the LI who starts it.)

No, and I'm deeply uninterested in the concept.

I feel like there's already a plethora of games out there with rejection and friendship-focused elements. I think a lot of "romances" center around this concept of anxiety around being devalued, having loose relationships, not caring as much, either by the LI or the player.

I'm much more interested in themes of co-dependence, the storminess of being too emotionally involved and invested with people, how people turn into monsters the more you get to know them. All the LIs will love the MC very deeply, in a way that becomes irrational and suffocating, and I don't... want to write an MC that just kinda strings them along and plays with their feelings? Not because that's unrealistic, but just because I think it's narratively unsatisfying, idk. I mean, you can have a messy play style, have your MC be unsure/afraid/act out/cry/be angry/have complicated feelings and such, but there's still always going to be an element of yearning from them (from both parties, honestly).

I think the horror part isn't about being hurt/manipulated by a cruel, uncaring force, but loving and being loved by someone you feel is so irreplaceable to you that you'd embrace torment and monstrosity over losing them.

I've always wanted to structure RH in a way where emotionally it's more reminiscent of 18th century Romantic novels, Gothic Romance, etc. Very intense, sincere, and gratingly vulnerable to contrast against the artificial, irony-poisoned internet culture, where everything is very easily discarded and nothing means anything. (When I originally made RH, I kinda designed in to become antithetical to everything I despised in the modern world, you know?)

[plaidos]

I worry I phrased my question badly so I would love to try again: is detransition baby actually is a good resource for learning about trans family planning, and could it be true that Torrey Peters’ work can’t be easily replaced by nonfictional political theory?

I fear that works by trans writers writing about their everyday lives are devalued in the hierarchy you’ve established between novels and theory. Sometimes the novel is the theory and can’t be so easily discarded.

no, it is a fiction book about some trans people who want to have children and how they go about it. it has many insights and there are things to learn from the story, but fundamentally, it's a storybook. the things that happened in it are not real and do not necessarily reflect reality.

you're right that Torrey Peters' work can't be easily replaced by nonfictional political theory -- because it's a storybook. it's doing a different thing. i'm not saying it should be discarded at all -- you'll note i called it my favourite fucking book?

like there are actually non-fictional accounts of trans people having children & the trials they went through to accomplish that. there is a lot of non-fiction political writing about trans existence. you don't need to fill this gap in with storybooks, which serve a different purpose. Torrey Peters is fundamentally not trying to teach you or anybody anything about having children as a trans person. she is telling a story about that inspired by the real life struggles trans women often live through. like i said, it isn't that there is "no political value" -- there's plenty political value in art. but it cannot replace non-fiction political theory. i cannot believe i am having this argument with somebody as verbose as you. like i feel like those people who have to explain that The Hunger Games isn't political theory

i genuinely believe Torrey Peters would laugh at the implication of Detransition Baby being a serious piece of political theory. it is an amazing and yes political piece of art in many ways. but it isn't political theory. i don't know why you consider this an insult lol.

[danielryancotlerpoetry]

Late Night Talks with the Moon

[princessgarnetxvi]

Everything Johan did was For Anna/Nina

Everything Johan did was for Anna. 

                      A “Monster” capable of love.

“What I’m most afraid of is…forgetting Anna. The strange lessons we have everyday… are making my memories fade. Please, don’t make me forget Anna. It’s only Anna and me in this whole world. Just give me that - please. Please.”  – Johan Liebert”

I was very confused about the complexities of Johan's character up until the last handful of episodes. After rewatching the series for a 3rd time and exploring how Johan is portrayed in the manga, it became very clear to me that my initial opinions about Johan were basic and devalued the intricacies of Naoki's writing. From the beginning we are only TOLD by conflicting views, who Johan was. His character, in the fictional world as well as our own, is simply defined by an individual's perception of him and the story presented. However, if we dissect ALL of the themes and even the undertones Naoki presented to us through the world of characters; I think it would be evident that Johan was not committing heinous acts for superficial reasons such as simply being evil to be evil.

So what was the method to his madness? 

I believe... Everything he did was for Anna.

(Yes this includes erasing himself from existence too )

Author's Note: I want to preface before you read on that although these essays are written in a sympathizing light that Johan has done PLENTY of wrong. This is not written in an attempt to dismiss his heinous acts lightly, but to simply understand the "Monster" of the series by tackling Johan's crimes deeper than the surface. I tried to make sense of Johan's every action in regards to his OVERALL PLAN and why Naoki presented them to us as viewers. For those who will nitpick the term "everything" quite literally, I want to make it clear that not E V E R Y S I N G L E A C T I O N Johan has taken coincides with his love for his sister; his actions towards the children specifically - because there are some things that had nothing to do with his "perfect plan" but more to do with attempting to build Johan's character and his view of the world us as viewers. Justifying ones actions vs. rationalizing ones actions are completely different. I am in no way attempting to discard the accountabilities that Johan should face for his actions, but instead trying to make sense of it all. I've analyzed Johan's crimes against children here: https://xprincessgarnetxvi.tumblr.com/post/691678531250487296/i-really-love-reading-your-essays-i-can However, this will explain the root of Johan's character and the core of his overall plan(s) that was committed for the sake of his sister from the very beginning to the end. The overarching theme and message of Monster is that there are no such thing as Monsters, only broken human beings capable of great evil; so we will humanize this great Monster in order to understand not only Johan Liebert, but the hows/whys Tenma/Nina was able to forgive him and ultimately find value in saving the life of this supposed Monster.

Before we begin, I'd like to take the time to thank you for reading! I can't wait to review your comments and further discuss this magnificent series of Monster!

-

Anna was set up from the beginning to become The “Monster” given she was the one who actually endured the experiments. Her tendencies are shown in glimmers throughout the show. The heartbreaking twist to it though... is that the only reason why she DID not become the beast, was because SHE ( unlike Johan ) HAD KNOWN REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

-Johan’s love and sacrifice is what kept her safe from the darkness he knew very well. He got his hands dirty to shield her. He chose to leave her behind in the care of her foster parents, knowing she would forget him, in order to heal.

He chose her than himself over and over; becoming her shadow; choosing to lose his only attachment to his already weakened identity in order for her to heal.

His love for her is why she never became a monster...and tragically, why Johan had.

Which reflects exactly what Mikhail Petrov (whose real name is Reinhart Biermann) said about his "PROFOUND DISCOVERY" concerning his current experiment on the children he had in his home; he said the children did not become animals because he gave them LOVE.

(Mikhail Petrov telling Grimmer how the children in his current experiment did not become Monster - it was because they had LOVE.)

In his own twisted way and view on things, he was protecting her. He killed every "parental" figure they had because he was betrayed by every adult figure in his life so far. People who mentioned calling the police, ended up finding out about their past - anything that could lead the man, who Johan referred to as “The Monster” into finding them, he disposed of.

The adults in their lives thus far would betray them, torture them, hurt them, throw them away- and forcefully separate them. In his severely abused mental state, any adult figure was a potential threat to his and Anna’s safety. So he’d kill in order to runaway from "the monster" and protect Anna. Then when Anna found out about the blood on his hands that fateful night the Monster paid them a visit, he realized that now he had become someone Anna feared - a different kind of Monster but all the similar to the one they were running from.

So he rationalized that now he needed to die.

In that moment, I think we should focus on his body language and expressions. Johan faced the ground. hardly picking up his eyes. His shoulders were sunken and he did not have that menacing little smile he usually had. Johan has killed in secret various times with Anna and back at Kinderheim.

So why was he so messy with the Lieberts?

Because he did not want to kill them - he said HE HAD TO.

It was not a calculated murder, because he was not truly calm and collected; He was afraid.

Lets not forget who Johan was up until that moment: the infamous little boy who provoked an entire riot and massacre by simply opening his mouth. With mere words he was able to sway the adults and children into doing what he wanted. BUT IN THAT MOMENT when Anna caught him red handed, he could not, or rather, would not - try and manipulate Anna.

(He has never once been shown trying to manipulate or abuse her throughout the entire series as he has done intentionally with the rest of the world.)

Instead, he asked her to shoot him and run - in an attempt to finally liberate her from the horrific life they had to lead up until now - blaming his existence for the constant chase their predator (Bonaparte) gave way to them as prey because in that moment, his memories were distorted and he believed he was the one who went to the Red Rose Mansion. **** (X) (this theory is challenged referenced below)

To Johan, him living was a danger to Anna and that night made it evident to him.

But when he was brought back to life and realized the gravity behind his methods, seeing how terrified Anna was of him - he started to cry. Because despite his initial feelings of finding his death absolutely necessary for her to be safe, he still wanted what he had with her; the only bond of love he ever knew.

What set his entire ADULT plan into motion (wiping out everyone who ever hurt Anna and created HIM) was Anna's rejection at the hospital. That was when he realized internally, he was beyond forgiveness and that he was nothing more than a monster. A Nameless monster in her reflection that needed to die in order for her to live in peace. (Referencing the God of Peace storybook. )

Johan was the one who gifted the God (Anna) her hat and then she saw herself as the Monster she was supposed to be due to the Red Rose Mansion experiments. This would NOT have happened if Johan did not give her the hat (the red hat which can symbolize the blood he spilled for her. ) so in this instance, Johan is also the reflection (you are me and I am you. They are both nameless monsters)

From that moment on, he wanted to wipe out his entire existence, and that meant those who ALSO "created" him so that Anna could heal as Nina.

I believe this is what is depicted in the Nameless Monster storybook. 

Initially, we are made to believe Johan wanted to “consume everyone” so he would be the last one standing. The Monster known as Johan in the book also devours his counterpart, the Monster who went West and then there is no one left to call him by his name. But clearly, Johan never does this, because Johan never attempts to kill/devour Anna/Nina - because what it symbolizes is entirely different in nature regarding Johan’s intention. 

A quick reminder that both Johan and Anna were considered Nameless Monsters. HOWEVER - by Johan’s hands, Anna does not remain “Nameless” nor does she ever become a “monster” the moment Johan decided to not only leave her behind in the hands of a loving family, but by her changing her name and her identity to Nina. The Fortners never made any implication that they knew of Nina’s past concerning the Lieberts murder and I believe this is because Johan introduced her as Nina to the Fortners and never allowed them to see the trail behind her identity as Anna Liebert. 

Symbolically, Johan, as the Nameless Monster, consumed the Monster inside of Anna and became the only Monster left. This is what is mirrored in Johan’s intentions and the Nameless Monster storybook. 

With Anna forgetting him and Johan leaving her behind thus losing his only connection to someone who truly knew him, now all that is left is Johan, without absolutely anyone to call him by his name - the one and only Nameless Monster.

And this is heavily referenced in Another Monster:

(This reinforces that Johan was trying to make Nina forget her past as Anna)

There wasn’t some sick satisfaction from any of his killings done when he was a child. To him, it was needed for the sake of her safety. This was Johan’s initial “plan.” set in motion. He wanted to be the only one left in the world with his sister - so that they wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore. 

(I also believe at that point when they were kids, Johan's very first plan he referred to when telling Anna "Remember, I have a plan." was to run to another country with her so that the Monster will never find them. It is the only logical idea of a plan that a child could conjure following what he actually leads them to do, which was cross the border. Simply destroying the world is unreachable in his current state and Johan is smart enough to not be delusional in his endeavors. With that being said, he had to kill that old couple to erase any trail they may have left of "two beautiful blonde twins." But this plan fails because they nearly die at the Czech Border and was discovered. )

(Johan telling Anna he has a plan.)

RUHENHEIM:

One of the biggest moments in Ruhenheim has been misinterpreted and lost due to the mistranslations in both the English Dub and the Japanese subtitles. 

I clarify and mend this by breaking down what Nina unraveled in Boneparte’s house when she looked at the portraits by correctly translating the Japanese script/text in depth here on this post:

 But to summarize it for the purpose of this essay, it was revealed to us as viewers that Johan apologized to Anna when she returned from the Red Rose Mansion, revealing the overwhelming weight of guilt he carried when Anna had been taken that day. 

(That day depicts the moment their mother made the terrible 'Choice')

and then Johan accepts his mother will never return to them (assuming she abandoned them) and goes on to tell Anna this:

Johan is the one crying because soon after, Nina tells us that Johan was in that room crying.

This information provides clarity as to why Nina was finally able to understand Johan, empathize with him enough to be able to forgive him. She remembered he was a boy who felt guilty over what happened to her; a boy who cried when he realized they were now all alone in the world.  She understood that Johan desperately did anything and everything to ensure he and Anna survived despite it all.

That Rainy Night:

I want to GREATLY EMPHASIZE the important factor I missed my first time watching the scenes with Johan/Anna - the scenes shown to us were ONLY through her recollection as fragments due to her memory loss. They were told from what she COULD remember, so her take on what really happened that rainy night the first few times the events are unfolded before us should not be taken as absolute. At least...up until it is revealed in the final episodes that Anna realized that on that night instead of seeming like an empty shell of a person asking for death, Johan was crying and crying before she shot him.

The scene where Anna finds the portraits reveals what truly happened between them and its so important. She said “Johan was crying “here” just like before.” She was mimicking a memory she had just recalled in its entirety. “Why are you crying, why are you crying?” She sounded in distress. Directly after she reveals that she remembers him crying, it shows the image of him pointing at his head that rainy night.

Even though Johan told her to shoot him, it is IMPORTANT that he was crying and the author highlights this for a reason.

I believe that, finally being able to vividly remember that day finally revealed to her that Johan wasn’t the “face of absolute evil” she initially dismissed him to be; he was a boy/man who could cry and mourn - he was human. He was a terrified boy protecting Anna and himself the only way he knew how. and instead of showing him forgiveness/love - she added on to his collection of wounds scarred upon his soul from everyone else who chose to harm him.

Tenma...was ultimately the ONLY one in his life who showed him kindness.

Johan's intentions and reasons behind many crimes: Essay II.

( I will summarize it here as the extension essay was far too long to put on this post)

**** (☓) I want to ask, did Johan truly believe he was the one who went to the Red Rose Mansion or was that simply a masquerade he performed to make sure Anna did not remember?

(I wrote an essay on this being a possibility here: PART 2 OF THIS ESSAY. This will explain Johan's intentions in depth)

(this is a theory I FIRMLY believe and have completely adopted. But for the sake of argument, I will entertain both concepts behind Johan's memory in this essay.)

If we entertain the idea that Johan never misconstrued his memories about the Red Rose and pretended he did, I can dissect Johan’s intentions a bit more intricately.

Throughout the series you see that he is trying to wipe everyone who knew of what happened to Anna off the face of the earth, that included himself. He did not want Anna to remember. So when it was revealed she did remember, he mourned. It was subtle but evident in the anime when she reveals “you are wrong.” something in him shifted - for once he was reacting to the words of another.

She said "he had a smile but seemed like he was crying. I never seen such an expression on his face before." That entire scene, Johan’s eyes expressed something we’ve never seen from him throughout the series - a sense of mourning or longing?

Johan in front of Anna always appeared the most human and I feel Naoki did this with purpose.

(Naoki specifically told the directors/animators of the anime series to never stray from how he expressed Johan's eyes for a very important reason. )

Johan's expression finally meeting Anna after 13 years apart.

-

If, however, Johan DID truly think he was the one who suffered at the red rose mansion, his “perfect suicide” plan still relates to his twisted-selfless feelings for Anna.

Johan learns it was not him that suffered at the Red Rose Mansion...but Anna instead. and then Johan goes on to commit the "perfect suicide." In his plan to die, he wanted to take The Monster with him, forcing Bonaparte to endure the same exact hell he forced Anna to suffer as a child.

Call it an act of revenge. Some may think Johan is incapable of being vengeful but I cannot see this cruel and calculated act as anything other than malice. After Bonaparte was finally dead, the monster disposed of - Johan was ready to die.

But you can see his conviction began to slip away when Anna forgave him. What made it worse was realizing he was wrong about Tenma because even now, Tenma was still hesitating on killing him ruthlessly like he always presumed would happen. Johan thought he had humans all figured out - after all, all Johan has EVER known was the darkness in people’s hearts. That is why he was so confused/moved by Tenma and wanted so desperately to prove him wrong.

The manga portrays Johan’s expressions 1000X BETTER THAN THE ANIME. As soon as Anna arrives, Johan is just staring at the floor, unable to look at her - Repeating everything from that fateful rainy night when they were kids. But this time, Anna doesn’t kill him, she chooses love and compassion. and when she says she forgives him - his reaction is something the anime does not do justice

(The subtle shift the artist expressed in his eyes from her words is so significant but missed in the anime; but he reacts rather deeply, moved and shocked by her words.)

Because "Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again."

In the manga he isn’t quick to reply. He ponders over her words carefully and I think this is when his mind starts panicking.

Anna realized that forgiveness was the one thing he wanted that night she shot him, despite him also thinking his death was needed. His value depended on her view of him; and what she once robbed from him was now returned - a human being worthy of forgiveness instead of a monster.

He is telling her the evident truth that he cannot turn back because he TRULY believes Tenma is going to kill him any moment.

Johan refuses her forgiveness not because he resents her or thinks its too late for her to redeem herself - but because he doesn’t think he deserves it. “There are somethings that cannot be undone.” Because it is too late, Johan is going to die - he WANTS to die. Then you see the fear and helplessness in his eyes after getting the one thing he always wanted [ Anna’s forgiveness] because he desperately wanted to die as the only thing he knew himself to be: the nameless, nonexistent monster. But both Anna and Tenma rob him of that by bestowing upon him the gift of compassion, mercy and empathy; for the first time treating and valuing him like a human being instead of a monster,god,experiment, devil etc., as everyone around him has his entire life.

(The Monster inside of Johan begins to crumble.)

Johan in his final moments was cracking and finally falling apart. You see it in the final expression he makes: the distraught, confusion and sadness. Because he realized, he was wrong about people, he was wrong about the world. But how can we blame him for his view on humanity when all he has ever been shown since birth was how ugly, selfish, cruel and inhumane people can be?

How can we expect someone who has only seen darkness to be able to find the light?

I want to clarify one thing I noticed: Johan has never shown to take any kind of sick satisfaction from killing unlike all the other serial killers being interviewed in the series. (aside from Richard) Specifically, Johan is without "the lust for murder" as Lunge explains in Another Monster - which is why Johan hired other people to kill for him instead. Especially contrasting Johan with Roberto, specifically, when Roberto tries to kill Anna.

(that is until Richard, which makes Johan's dealings with him stand out for a reason. He doesn't even take pleasure in killing the Red Hiddenburg, he leaves before witnessing her death instead of reveling in his 'checkmate' coming to fruition.)

Despite his callousness and his lack of care for life - Johan, despite how much of a "monster" he was, very clearly had humanity and had love....for his sister most of all. Johan saw when his mother choose, how little their lives meant to her and this instilled his nihilism at such a young age. He watched Anna get tossed to the wolves like nothing and in that moment, he probably thought his mother chose Anna over him for a reason. (even though the question on her intention would haunt him for the rest of his life) But her being able to choose is what hurt him the most and it's probably what instilled his self sacrificing mentality to care for Anna above the world in order to never make the same mistake his mother had.

That is why after she got back from the Red Rose Mansion, he cried for her story and apologized as if it was his responsibility to feel guilty over what happened to her. It should have been him that suffered. Then after, he treats her with the upmost care, telling her everything is hers, no matter what she will win everything because he would deem it so. He is kind to her, never letting go of her hand even when she is dragging behind - he sacrificed all of himself for her...

Because she deserved everything in the world to contrast their mother throwing her away.

(it should be noted that the Lieberts did not want Anna either but only adopted her because Johan refused to leave the orphanage without her. Which is also why I believe he killed them when Bonaparta came because he thought the Lieberts were conspiring with Bonaparta to get Anna)

🌰 (The ‘Acorn game’ represents their Mother's choice, a child in each hand. But in this version, Johan would ensure that no matter what hand Anna chooses, she will NEVER choose wrong. He manipulates the fate behind her choices by holding two acorns instead of one; never letting her make the same mistake as her mother.)

He wanted her to know above all else, she was loved.

A clear indication of this adoration/attachment he has for her is the fact that he DOES NOT forget her even after enduring the hellish experiments in Kinderheim that aimed at wiping out / messing around with his memories.

-

I wrote this because I was astounded to see various posts/Wiki pages implying that Johan’s intentions were to torture Anna and make her kill herself. Telling her to shoot him was his first attempt to drive her insane? They twisted a lot of things Johan did to try and make this statement true. But I cannot comprehend how they drew this conclusion? The series has characters mentioning on more than a few occasions that Anna is dear to Johan. "He is lost with you."

Everyone knew Anna was important to Johan, Professor Geidlitz was the first to mention this besides the old blind man. Roberto was aware of this which is why he tried to kill her as mentioned in Another Monster. Which is ALSO why Peter Capek tried to hold her hostage to prevent Johan from killing him.

and for the first time, Johan DOESN'T kill him.

Johan cried when he awoke at the hospital after he reached for his sister and she screamed in fear of him. His face full of tears - his heart completely broken. If his intention was to drive Anna insane, he would have triumphed in that moment she screamed and fell to the ground after he reached out to her. But instead he mourned.

Anna has mentioned several times that Johan has cried for her, like when he was in the room full of their happy portraits, he was crying. He never once tried to bring harm to Anna - not intentionally towards her person. Explaining the Fortners murder - either he killed the Fortners after they decided to keep lying to her, thus keeping him in the shadows when he wanted to return. OR he killed them because they were going to tell her the truth about her identity, which was something Johan worked to conceal. (this theory is explained thoroughly in essay #2 )

Regardless, if he wanted to torment her, he would not have tried to lure her away to the castle when he set up the Fortners to be killed.

They imply that Johan wanted to torture her and then kill her at the end. But that makes absolutely no sense. Where in the storyline does Johan give off this tendency towards her? Even at the end he told her where to meet him in Ruhenheim and not once did he try to shoot her or Tenma. Honestly, if he really wanted to provoke Tenma to shoot him, he would have held the gun to Anna instead of a random child. But even though being shot by Tenma was his greatest endeavor, he refused to point the gun at someone who was important to Tenma...because Anna, is important to Johan too.

To say Johan, despite being hailed as the Monster of the series, had no love or humanity in him and was merely the Devil himself...completely missed the point of the story...

I’d like to point out the constant mentioning of Hitler in this story and draw another important factor...Hitler brainwashed people to commit mass genocide. Under his rule, millions perished in horrific ways. But despite that...Hitler was capable of loving others. Hitler was also loved by others. The terrifying truth about people who commit atrocities...is that they are not monsters or demons or devils...

they are merely human.

-

Here’s two passages from ANOTHER MONSTER [novel post Monster written by Naoki] that really drives this point:

- PSA: My twin brother FINALLY finished his 2 HOUR Johan Analysis Essay, that dives deeper into Johan's character. This essay and essay #2 will be included in this analysis video as we both worked on it together. However, this lays out the details visually and with beautiful music. Please watch!

[thevirgodoll]

a lot of people have destroyed others by saying “I love you” but throwing them away in the trash later when communication is off. why say “I love you” if you’re going to lose patience and kindness later? why say “I love you” if you can’t have perspective for your partner’s pain, not just yours? why say “I love you” if you’re going to devalue and discard?

sometimes, people idealize us and love who they create us to be… and never get to know who we really are. they get upset when we don’t fit their projections. they think feedback means you love them less. they think days YOU are struggling is hatred. they think their lashings for going outside of the “rules” is love. they cast fear and doubts on us because they don’t even love themselves enough yet to believe you love them.

people are doing things in their best interest and should just admit it. they say they love you to get something from you. they don’t even know what “love” is. they don’t even understand the concept. when they have it they destroy it with their bare hands. but they would never want anyone to do the same.

I am tired of everyone using “love” so loosely when the truth is that they love the future ahead and can’t even have patience learning who we are now. genuinely would rather die than ever hear it again fr

[binomech]

i was looking at john noble's imdb (the guy who's playing fields) (and also the guy in lotr who eats a tomato weird) and it says he's in the next FIVE severance episodes??? what are they doing where they'll need burt's husband for the entire rest of the season including the finale??

i have no idea but i am really hoping the "we as gay men share class interests and they essentially killed our innies and discarded them like they would us, we can hit back together, we can build a support newtork for the people they loved, we can arrange ourselves into a shape that can support without breaking."

idk man, in the "we value the nuclear family, we value the eagan legacy, we value heterosexuality and birth, we value ataraxia, grief is unproductive, masturbation is unproductive, gay sex is unproductive, closure is what you need. sell us your body and let a part of you spared from your own life's losses" lumon baseline narrative, getting AIDS crisis survivors making room for everyone that is devalued by this model, letting people grieve and find their footing again, and dismantling the company that profits from their grief is my best case scenario.

[wxllyclxrk]

White Mustang (3) | Wally Clark x OC

Summary: Ellie has a surprising encounter. Wally comes to a realization.

Warnings: 18+ only, mentions of death/suicide of a loved one, emotional abuse, mentions of sex, sexual assault, drugs, canon divergence, eventually maybe smut?

Word Count: 1019

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to any character, setting or plot designed by the creators of School Spirits.

Author's Note: None

MASTERLIST

Nathan was the kind of guy who peaked in high school. He walked through the halls like he owned them- boisterous, confident and always surrounded by a crowd. He had an effortless charm that made girls overlook his arrogance, but there was an unsettling edge to him if you paid close enough attention. He thrived on being adored, and when things didn't go his way, his temper flared. On the field, he channeled his aggression into the game, but off the field, it simmered just beneath the surface, waiting for the most opportune moment to explode. His romantic history is as volatile as his personality. His relationships rarely last more than a few weeks- fleeting encounters that serve his insatiable need for validation and power. He always gets what- or who he wants, until eventually, he doesn't. And that's when it got dangerous. Each new conquest is temporary, a way to bolster his already inflated ego before he discards them without a second thought. His charm and popularity make it easy for him to lure in admirers, but once he's got them wrapped around his finger, he's quick to manipulate their emotions. Whether through subtle pressure or overt displays of dominance, he ensures that his partners bend to his will- only to be left feeling used and devalued as soon as the novelty wears off. 

_ _ _

Near the softly humming coffee machine in the cafeteria, Wally strolled casually until his attention was drawn by the hushed mention of Ellie's name.

"Just trust me. Ellie won't do it," Chloe murmured quietly, her voice laced with disdain, blended with the muted clatter of cups and footsteps. 

His chest tightened in a rush of uncomfortable curiosity. She won't do what?

"How do you know that?" Nathan asked in a low, confident tone. 

"Because she's a total prude. She's never even had sex," Chloe whispered mockingly.

The words hit Wally like a fist to the gut. He felt it- an angry, protective surge as the pieces of the conversation fell into place. But it was Nathan's response that froze him in place. 

"Yeah and if you remember, I can be rather persuasive. Give me a week and I'll have her on her back."

Was this the same guy mentioned in Ellie's text messages? The one that's supposed to ask her out? A wave of disgust washed over Wally. His insides burned with anguish, but his fury was useless. He couldn't warn Ellie. He couldn't protect her from Nathan's vile words or the dangerous path ahead. He knew she wasn't just some 'prude', that she was kind, gentle and more than deserving of respect. But he couldn't *do* anything. His heart screamed, wishing to intervene, to stop Nathan from using Ellie in a way she didn't deserve. All he could do was watch, listen, and feel- burdened by the silent knowledge that he was utterly powerless to change the course of events unfolding before him. 

_ _ _

The soft light of the late afternoon filtered through the dusty windows of the music room, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floors. It's quiet- eerily so- as Wally leans against the edge of the piano, idly tapping his fingers on the lid. He's been waiting, though he isn't sure why. Maybe it's boredom. Maybe it's curiosity. The air feels heavy, still holding onto the silence like an unfinished song. 

The door creaks open. 

Ellie steps in, clutching her books a little too tightly against her chest. There's a certain weight in her expression- her usually bright eyes clouded with something softer, sadder. Wally straightens up, watching her, his curiosity instantly piqued.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked instinctively, forgetting, for a beat, that she can't hear him.

No response. 

She walks right past him, her sneakers barely making a sound on the floor, and sinks down onto the piano bench, straightening her back. Her fingers hover over the keys, trembling slightly before they press down, releasing the first gentle notes of a hauntingly sad melody. It's soft at first, her touch delicate, but then it grows, the emotion bleeding into every chord. 

And then, she started singing. 

Her voice was raw- achingly beautiful- filled with so much pain that it lingers in the room like smoke. Wally's breath catches. There's something about the way she pours herself into the music, so vulnerable yet so strong, that it makes his chest tighten unexpectedly. He finds himself leaning in, drawn to her in a way he hadn't felt in... well, ever. 

His breath hitches. "You're... something else," he murmurs, his voice soft, almost reverent. 

But then- BANG, BANG, BANG!

The sudden, heavy knock on the music room door jolts the moment apart. Ellie's fingers fumble on the keys, the melody shattering into silence.

"Ellie? You in here?" Nathan's voice, cocky and impatient, cuts through the air.

Wally groans. "Oh, come on. This guy?" 

Ellie practically leaps off the bench, smoothing her uniform skirt and brushing stray hair out of her face, the earlier sadness momentarily forgotten. She hurries to the door, yanking it open. 

Nathan leans against the frame, all smug confidence and lazy charm. "There you are. I was lookin' for you. So... Friday night, you and me. What do you say?" 

Ellie's eyes widen. "Seriously? Yeah- yeah, of course!" Her voice lifts with excitement, cheeks flushed.

Wally throws his hands up in disbelief. "No, no, no! Bad Idea! He's the worst! Don't say yes!" He waves his arms, stepping right in front of her, as if that would somehow make a difference. "Ellie, he's only asking you out 'cause he wants to sleep with you!" 

She grins, completely oblivious to the frantic ghost begging her to reconsider.

"Great, I'll pick you up at seven," Nathan smirks before turning away. 

Ellie stands there for a moment, a soft smile lingering on her face.

Wally groans again, dropping his head into his hands. "Unbelievable. She has no idea."

His gaze lingers on her, something softer flickering in his eyes- a realization he's not quite ready to admit.

But it's there.

He's falling for her.

And she doesn't even know he exists.