#does this make sense to anyone who isn't me

[bloodyentrails]

i think you make some very good points.

i don't really feel qualified to judge the quality of actors tbh, what i do know is that we get more private moments with dean, where he is alone with the audience and idk about anyone else, but this stuff is catnip to me.

i think there are far fewer private moments we get with sam. or maybe padalecki doesn't communicate them well enough, i have no idea.

i agree that sam isn't compassionate in the mother teresa sense, i think my tags were an (incomplete) attempt at some kind of parallel between me picking a character to relate to, and sam also finding a monster her relates to. we see something of ourselves in them, and we become emotionally engaged with their story and all of that. i think that sort of thing is very important to me.

i think for me the show is generally lacking in the kind of reflection other stories do wrt monsters. or maybe i just spend a lot of time with jungian concepts?? i spent a long time watching and waiting for any kind of identification so i was glad when it happened, and also felt like they did very little with it.

dean doesn't spare monsters at all, so far, i think until benny comes along? i think he draws such a sharp line between us and them that benny was a real surprise to me. idk if that will change in later seasons, and idk if it's necessary per se. it's like all they learn is relatively superficial, ok this is how you kill this particular monster, this is what it takes.

i don't really want to write a whole defense of why one brother is better than the other. there is something to me in having them together that makes the most sense, and i do love contrasting their ideas and approaches and whatnot. i really wish the writing allowed them to grow more as people, i feel like so far they are sort of stuck in having to be together for better or worse and not really being able to see the other. i'm curious how this will develop if it does.

i think the problem with all of the, who is the hero type discourse, is that i feel like a lot of this is ancient history and has been fought about over and over, and i'm clumsiy trying to stay away from those types of debates, because they don't hold much joy for me. but also it's a ton of doylist thinking, of how i'm supposed to see the action, how i'm supposed to interpret it, and i try to resist that too. if i can.

so, like, at the moment, i'm trying very hard to let the show speak and percolate and just sort of exist. which is hard! there is so much already being said and seemingly decided about it and the characters, and endlessly reiterated. it's hard to have a good take on it.

maybe this is me being a dumb overly literal autist stemlord who simply does not understand literary theory or some shit equivalent but why should i care about someone being coded as [X] when i can just. care about someone who is [X]. why should i care more about the conventionally attractive white woman with a job and mortgage because she's metaphorically othered due to being a supernatural creature when i could care about the actually othered addicts that she used as a source of food. help me out here.

[gaywarcriminals]

YQY getting hit with truth serum so he has to confess The Secret to SJ is definitely a thing, because jesus fucking christ ANYTHING to make that man talk, but I think the potential for an even larger audience is fantastic.

A scenario like SQQ's trial. Things are dug up. Other things are implied or even fabricated. YQY is on trial. He's presented with some kind of truth serum. He refuses to take it until it's clarified that it won't compel him to speak, just prevent him from lying. He takes it.

They were lying. It absolutely does compel him to answer any questions asked of him. And the results are completely unhinged.

The Xuan Su thing doesn't even come up. It doesn't need to. In an attempt to paint him as scheming and ambitious, he's asked why he became sect leader.

"So I can give Xiao Jiu whatever he wants."

The assembled crowd: ?????

Is this Xiao Jiu a....mistreess? A son? What the hell. Questioning continues, and Yue Qingyuan's insanity is put on full display.

"What if 'Xiao Jiu' wanted to be the sect leader?"

"I would make him the sect leader."

"Surely the other peak lords of Cang Qiong would object. What would you do, then?"

"Whatever I had to."

Whatever they were originally asking about gets seriously derailed as they realize that this guy, arguably the most powerful cultivator in the world, is singularly obsessed with a person he calls 'Xiao Jiu.' Why did he seek power? Xiao Jiu. What is his ultimate goal? Xiao Jiu.

It's also starting to seem like maybe Xiao Jiu isn't exactly a willing participant.

"What does Xiao Jiu ask you for?"

"To leave him alone."

Okay. So his attentions are unwanted. Yikes.

Further questioning reveals that this mysterious person seems to hate Yue Qingyuan, but is regularly subject to his attentions anyway.

The one question he won't answer is 'who is Xiao Jiu.' He's bleeding from the mouth and eyes, but he just shakes his head or says, "He told me not to call him that."

In the audience, no one noticed Shen Qingqiu's total bluescreen, because honestly? All of the peak lords are feeling pretty lost for words right now.

I dunno, I just think it's specifically interesting to a) have a public reveal that this man is a lunatic, and b) have SQQ find out the depths of YQY's devotion without being able to get the answer he wants most.

This would drive SJ absolutely insane. On the one hand he’s happy that YQY isn’t spilling every little detail of their past for these vultures to pick through, on the other hands where the fuck is this coming from??? What sense do these answers make in the mouth of the man who abandoned him? If it was anyone else saying these things he’d be wildly uncomfortable, but this is just confusing (if he were to really sit with his feelings, he might realize that any immediate sense of revolution was swept away by a long-dormant sense of possessiveness). He intends to grab YQY and shake him as soon as YQY stops giving the OPM grounds to charge him with stalking or harassment or something, and YQY will just give him guilty eyes because he things SJ is mad about every he said on the stand 😔. Actually scratch that for qijiu’s benefit the potion should still be in effect, so the moment they’re behind doors SJ can furiously ask why, if YQY doesn’t despise him, he saw fit to abandon him back then and every day since their reunion. YQY can try to hold himself back from speaking to the point of coughing up blood again, which only enrages SJ further, and eventually YQY is forced to speak his explanation through his rough and bloodied throat. SJ is have every single emotion today and has a 50/50 chance of learning what YQY’s blood tastes like (for normal kissing reasons. Normaler than usual).

On a different note, I felt palatable anxiety reading the first part of the ask because I thought you were going to say that YQY confessed about Xuan Su in public, his greatest weakness and a questionable/unnatural feat of cultivation that he could well be criticized for. I legit think that if that happened SJ would consider killing everyone else in the room to stop the secret from getting out— he doesn’t have time to process all the complicated emotions from what YQY just told him, he only knows that’s it’s intolerable for YQY to be this vulnerable in front of people SJ distrusts or despises.

[liquidorcard]

Okay, to the anon who sent me the breakdown of what happened to Liquid Lily:

Thank you for the write up. I do appreciate you filling me in. But I'm going to use this as a chance to address the ground rules of how we address Courtney going forwards on this blog.

Let me be perfectly clear here:

Courtney's behavior as of late has been very upsetting. To me, to many of you, yes. I have very much privately expressed my own thoughts, feelings and frustrations on the matter in more private settings. There's no sneaky shade here, everything I've said I'd be more than willing to say to her face. I'll send her screenshots myself of everything I've said if she so requests it. I'm not here to gossip and bitch and not stand by it when confronted.

And Courtney on the off chance you're reading this, on the off chance you give a shit what I think of you and want to hash it out, my DMs are still as open to you as they have ever been. I'm not going to be brow-beaten because you don't agree with my perspective on things, I'm not interested in a pointless back and forth, but any concern you have with my presence in this cursed space I am always willing to hear you out on. The offer will always be there if you want me to signal boost something you want out there, of what little I can. It doesn't have to be a whole thing.

I'm also not going to wag my finger and tisk tisk on anyone else sharing their thoughts on Courtney's behavior. Nor do I want anyone to think I'm implying Courtney deserves to be coddled and babied because she's too fragile to handle people criticizing her.

With all that said. . .

Courtney will remain a no-poop-touching subject here on this blog. Obviously, she exists, bring her up when relevant, but we are going to refrain from name-calling and casting judgment. We are not making jokes now at Courtney's expense. We are not psychoanalizing her, speculating, making a circus side show. I will bring her up or respond to asks aboit her if I feel it's appropriate, relevant, or necessary.

Here's the thing gents:

Courtney and I have had some very similar life experiences. I'm not going to pretend to know her whole truth or suggest I'm an authority on her because of that, but. I know for me, having gone through what I did didn't help me become the most pleasant person on God's green earth either.

I never intended to hurt anyone, but I did. I have. I am very aware I have the capacity to do so again if I don't keep myself in check. I take full responsibility for the ways I have absolutely set bonds with friends, family and lovers on fire before. I hate it, I feel the full weight of that guilt to this day, but it's better to accept it and do what I have to to be better than pretend I'm a Saint. I've been told by people in flesh space and online how much they appreciate how "level-headed" I am. There isn't any kind of trickery afoot, I learned the hard way one too many times the cost of me not managing myself appropriately. I've put in the work to learn, and even then it's not like there's zero chance I won't eat shit and have a public meltdown caught in 4k. I hope that doesn't happen, lord knows I'm doing what I can to mitigate that risk-- but if it does all I can do is take the L and try to do what I can to fix it. I'm always hopeful the people in my life will forgive me-- and I'm thankful most do. But some don't, and I understand why. Some do, but it's better for both of us if we give each other a wide birth. Being a big boy do be like that sometimes.

And to be frank, if my abuser became an internet lolcow you couldn't fucking pay me to engage or come forwards. All of Lily's known victims are much braver than me. There's always going to be this extremely isolating disconnect when it comes to passive observers engaging with your abusers shitty behavior and you. The deep, crippling, profound panic and imminent sense of heightened danger is never going to feel the same. You might as well be on a different fucking planet, no matter how empathetic or accommodating they are. I can all but 100% garentee the histrionic way I'd be acting wouldn't paint me in a flattering light either.

I've heard some concerning information on some of the things that might be going on in Courtney's life right now. I trust the source it came from but have no way to verify if it's true. If Courtney publically confirms it I'll consider adding my two cents, having had lots of experience with what may be going on. Not that it justifies her actions, again, just very much contextualizes it.

I will say, I do think the sentiment of Courtney's frustration is more than valid-- I just think she made a lot of very poor decisions in who she directed those feelings at, then escalated things far beyond reason. I also empathize with her frustration over everyone and their mom telling her to log off because she's having an episode. I can tell you from my experience I would not respond well to anyone but a very close, trusted person in my life telling me that regardless of whether or not it was true. I've also seen plenty of OTHER dickweeds call Courtney "damaged goods" and the like all over the internet so I really don't blame her for shadowboxing ghosts now over it. You know who you are.

Being a victim doesn't make you incapable of harm or absolve you of personal responsibility. Lily's the fucking poster child for that.

The thing is, within reason, I believe in giving people a healthy amount of space to be messy bitches. Glass houses. It's one thing for me to comment on Courtney somewhere where there's little to no chance people will see it without context, it's totally different for me to put it out there in a space anyone can see it without knowing what went down.

Anon, I'm not scolding you, but I'm going to ask you be careful where and how you describe Courtney in the future publically. The last thing she needs is for more people to treat her like her trauma isn't relevant-- and unfortunately people routinely do expect victims to be perfect little angels. I'm not going to risk putting Courtney in the line of fire for that kind of behavior.

Thank you for your understanding.

[jubshead]

In my opinion <- strongly for ME

When it comes to Agatha All Along seems like people lose the plot & content about it as it goes, idk why but

1) Agatha is a Villain- she doesn't need redemption she's aware of herself & acknowledges her doings ( like wanda says " you do it you become the hero , I do it I become the enemy)

Agatha doesn't have to atone to what she's done or will continue to do ,does she feel bad hmm 🤪

So she's a serial killer - most those witches deserved it if you ask me, her salem coven completely did for wanting to put a child on trial because they were scared of her powers

"You don't see it holding me back " & it shouldn't hold her back she's a cunty witch no one forced anyone to follow her in her scheme she's a great con artist 🥵 I'd willing volunteer for you AGATHA HARKNESS 😏

Now I'm not saying her grief is an excuse, & that it's ohkay what she's done with her & Nicky's song but isn't a lil evil enjoyable😈 don't always have to be good doesn't mean you're always right

Like the ballad where all that's wrong is right & all that's bad is good!

² ) Agatha & Rio's love IS NOT toxic. What makes it toxic that rio gives & Agatha takes? If you think in depth their love is dynamic! Agatha is a person who time & time again is wronged by close & acquainted people of course she'd close herself from hurt when that's everyone's intentions without giving her a chance it's not her fault that people misunderstands & here comes Rio our amazing entity who knows how to show compassion because no ever will this is something Agatha deserves & Rio is literally the best example being that homo sapien feel the same way about death so who's best to understand Agatha than Rio herself & show & give Agatha what no one has? Their love makes sense & is precious because death can be seen to never be loved & here comes Agatha someone that's put off by people whom in their eyes seem like she's not capable of ever loving, yearns to want & give it & is giving it to death the best way she possibly knows how to, so who's to say their love is toxic?

3)Agatha is a Villain! That's what's perfect about her it's what makes her likeable

She is not evil( yes she is 😏🤭) , just misunderstood, not given a chance . She can still do & is doing the things even if she was good

] a daughter, a mother, a mentor ! Being a Villain doesn't stop her for being the things she was gifted with as Rio sees her for what she masks with - you just have to look through the disguise as well cause in time you'll see notice & you see if you pay close attention she isn't hiding as one would say you just aren't taking the time to notice because she's good at what she does best DECEPTION!

1 and 3) Yes, I agree! Agatha is a villain and she shouldn’t have a redemption arc! She doesn’t want to change and she won’t (tbh I prefer her as immoral lmao)

I think redemption arcs are usually very forced, just bc someone regrets their doing it doesn’t change what they did. She can have better actions, but being a villain isn’t really about what you do in the present, is about the way people view you and she’ll always be a villain in someone’s perspective, there’s no way for her to run from that title anymore.

People have the need for their favorite characters to be liked by everyone, have a moral high ground or something like that, but making her greedy and egoistic (in my opinion) gives her a bigger depth than “oh she always does what’s right”. Who the fucks only do what’s right?

I don’t agree that all of the witches she killed deserved, the only ones I know that deserved were her previous coven!

2) Agatha and Rio have a VERY complicated relationship.

Would I say it’s toxic? No, I wouldn’t!

Are they toxic people? Yes, they are!

I think they basically match each others freak to the point their toxicity doesn’t become toxic lol

And I also think that they have true feelings for each other, they can fight, they can argue, they can hurt, but when it comes to the important stuff they will take things seriously! Just like Rio did when she defended Agatha from her mother.

[yannisdesk]

Just saw someone say that making Caitlyn feel all-consuming misery over her actions is "misery p0rn" but her not being held accountable for her actions at the hands of any sort of justice due to how Piltover is structured is realistic.

Okay.

The last part is true. I don't expect Caitlyn to be thrown to whatever the Runeterra version of the ICC is (there is none) by the new council she just reinstated that only has its power back because she surrendered her power. I personally have never argued that. I don't even want Caitlyn to serve time in prison or die in battle. By being held accountable I mean held by the people she's personally hurt, such as Vi. Face some tangible consequences from the people of Zaun, who she gassed and oppressed for nearly an entire year. Idk, something.

Maddie doesn't count. Caitlyn never did anything wrong to Maddie to deserve that specific betrayal; it was made kind of obvious that she'd been under Ambessa's yoke from the beginning. Also, that was not "holding her accountable" - that was a spy doing what a spy does, or a jilted lover getting petty revenge if you want to interpret it that way. For all we know, Caitlyn could've rejected Ambessa's offer to becoming the leader of Piltover, and Maddie would've either been placed as a plant to whoever ended up taking that position, or still sent by Ambessa to somehow undermine whatever plans Caitlyn would've ended up having at that point.

But her feeling all-consuming guilt is unrealistic "misery p0rn"? Frankly, that's a load of bullshit. People who commit atrocities like that should feel bad about doing those things. When you become the head of a military dictatorship, co-sign locking up masses of civilians on trumped up charges, and engage in chemical warfare, the realization of what you've done should shock you to your core. You should feel like shit. Coping with what you've done should be difficult. That's a part of growing as a person and anyone that has ever had to face the fact that they've done something to seriously hurt another person, me included, recognizes this. The argument that she should get to walk away self-righteously patting herself on the back because she freed Jinx and sacrificed her eye is absurd, and not even something Caitlyn as a character would agree with.

Am I personally saying there's no way for Caitlyn to move forward? No, I was fully expecting to her to come out of her dictator era, and to have some sort of well-done redemption arc that would make sense and add depth to her as character. But much like Vi, her character just wasn't given that space because it was a lot of moving from one plot point to the other without being given time to breathe.

This isn't even about disliking or liking Caitlyn as a character, I personally have always been fond of her and even identified with her to an extent; it's really about not agreeing with how her arc was handled and the greater implications of it.

Sidebar: And let's keep this a buck-fifty - y'all only make this argument because you like Caitlyn or identify with her in some way. Other characters simply do not get that same grace. A lot of you who make this argument are the same ones that pop blood vessels over Ambessa to the point where people can't even express interest in Ambessa as a character without you jumping down their throats.

[seysei]

Thoughts on the ending of Servamp (Containing Spoilers)

Okay. So.

I had decided to wait until the final chapter of Servamp was released before forming a final opinion on the ending. Now that it’s finally been released, I’ve taken some time to process it on my own, without knowing how others feel about it, so I could give my genuine and honest take on it.

I... unfortunately found the ending to be somewhat disappointing.

The main issue lies in the final two chapters, which felt so rushed that they failed to leave much of an impact on me– I didn’t really feel the shock, excitement, or joy that the events should (and could) have delivered.

And i don’t mean this in any condescending way– I genuinely loved Servamp, which is why the ending feels so... upsetting. It had so much potential– if only the events had been stretched out over a few more chapters.

With that being said, there were some decisions I personally wasn’t a fan of. They felt a bit forced, a little cliché, maybe? you name it.

Tsurugi’s sudden return and immediate confrontation with Mikuni felt rushed and, honestly, a bit awkward. Like. Tsurugi’s return makes sense within the context of the story, especially with the recurring theme of “calling out someone’s name” as a way to reach them. However, the way it was executed felt far too easy, almost undermining the emotional weight of it.

And while his return aligns well with the story’s themes, his confrontation with Mikuni feels misplaced. I personally believe that it would’ve made more sense for him to confront Mahiru instead, serving as a narrative challenge for Mahiru to come to terms with his death (which I’ll get into later).

This is not to say that tsurugi has no relevance in the themes surrounding Mikuni's arc– if you can even call it that. The theme of blood versus chosen family could have been explored just as effectively through someone else’s confrontation with Mikuni, someone Mikuni isn't just pissed off with, allowing for a more personal moment where Mikuni could genuinely listen and come to terms with the issue, rather than being forced to accept it, which ultimately leaves him without true resolution or peace.

And like, hasn’t this been the go-to for confrontations in Servamp? Pride, gluttony, greed, wrath. Each one leading to emotional growth, where the characters develop through understanding and acceptance. It feels unfair that the envy pair’s confrontation was cut short and kind of sidelined when they’ve played such a key role in the development of the story.

And by now, you’ve probably already guessed who I would’ve preferred to confront Mikuni.

Though honestly, this isn’t just about personal preference– it’s about what felt natural for the narrative. Jeje just seemed like the more fitting choice to confront Mikuni, considering how their relationship had been built up throughout the story, and moments scattered throughout Gluttony’s arc, as well as Chapter 125, seemed to build toward a much needed confrontation between the two.

A moment between them could have given Mikuni the chance to face his pain and begin finding peace– not by pushing him toward a resolution, but by allowing him to feel properly understood. Seen, rather than judged.

Jeje has been shown, more than anyone, to genuinely understand Mikuni, at least in the ways Mikuni can be understood, and does so without judgment. What I mean is that Jeje’s approach has always been one of quiet understanding and restraint, never forcing Mikuni into a box or an easy solution, unlike others. It’s not about fixing him or forcing him to change, but about giving him the space to confront his struggles and, hopefully, begin to heal.

Like, come on, wouldn't it have been perfect for the man with god complex to be confronted by the ex-priest? (T▽T)

With the way Chapter 148 went, though, it feels like all the buildup was brushed aside to quickly wrap everything up.

There’s this moment between them in the final chapter…

And it’s kind of like... aftercare, without the sex. lol. like. huh? okay? Jeje was so sidelined through the whole confrontation that this feels... almost empty, really.

I can’t help but feel like it would have meant so much more if Jeje had been the one to confront Mikuni. Not to change him or force some convenient, happy ending for himself, but to offer him the comfort he so clearly needs.

In the end, this moment could have led to Mikuni realizing that he’s better off without his family– a realization that makes so much sense given everything he’s been through. For countless reasons, Mikuni’s connection to his blood family has been toxic, and that’s why I was genuinely shocked when the decision was made for him to return. It felt forced and, frankly, out of place. There had just been a whole discussion about how blood family isn’t everything. Sure, it doesn’t mean everyone has to cut ties, but in Mikuni’s case? Shouldn’t that have been the turning point?

I wasn’t expecting Tanaka to have him go back to that house after what felt like a half-hearted acceptance, if you can even call it that, of everything Mikuni endured with them. It didn’t feel like true growth for Mikuni. It felt like a step back.

No matter how I look at it, in the final chapter, Mikuni doesn’t seem genuinely happy– certainly not in the same way Misono does, who essentially got the fairytale ending he always dreamed of.

Sure, forgiveness and second chances are important themes, but wouldn’t it have been a powerful and unique choice to have Mikuni walk away instead? Not everyone has to forgive, and not everyone has to be forgiven. I get that it's a tough choice to make, especially with the limited time they had, and that ending in particular being (as far as im aware) unpopular amongst the fans. That’s why I think Servamp could have used a few more chapters.

Honestly, the simplest way to put it is that the last two chapters felt a little inconsistent– not just with each other, but also with the chapters that came before them.

Mahiru’s role in these final chapters is another example of those inconsistencies. I hate to say it, but my guy didn’t really do anything– other than preach something he went on to contradict. I understand that Servamp isn’t a story where progress only happens when the main character is involved, and honestly, I love that about it. But this was the final battle. Giving all the spotlight to Tsurugi, especially when he already had so much focus during C3’s arc, felt like such a missed opportunity.

Oh god, everytime I mention tsurugi it sounds like i hate him i feel so bad XD seriously though, I love him– but come on!

Sure, Mahiru wasn’t the right person to deal with Mikuni, but that’s exactly why I think it would’ve been more fitting for him to get his moment through a confrontation with Tsurugi instead. This could have been a chance for the narrative to challenge Mahiru to accept Tsurugi’s death– just like he once challenged Mikuni to accept his family’s fate.

And that brings me to something that’s felt off for a while now, even before the ending. There’s a contradiction in the narrative being pushed throughout these chapters. It had been pushing this theme of accepting people’s choices and mistakes, no matter how flawed or tragic they might be.

Yet, it contradicts this message by changing Mikuni’s decisions and actions, no? While extreme, his choices were his own, and the story had emphasized that even bad decisions deserved understanding. So why was Mikuni’s attempt to rewrite his past– however messy and full of loss– condemned, while rewriting the past to undo the mess and losses during August was apparently acceptable? It felt like the narrative was suddenly rejecting the very ideas it had been building up to, leaving the ending feeling inconsistent and unsatisfying to me.

And sure, Mahiru wasn’t the one to directly make it happen, but his willingness to do so and his suggestion alone should still count.

If the hypocrisy here had been acknowledged, it could have added depth– I’m all for flawed protagonists, after all. But instead, it feels like it's been treated as more "reasonable" or "fair" compared to Mikuni’s re-writing of the past.

And that has me like...? I'm failing to see how it's any different?

Now, take this with a pinch of salt since the official translation isn’t out yet, and I’m not entirely sure if Touma’s conversation with Mahiru addressed this contradiction. If it did, then hooray.

Because what seemed like the best way to handle it would have been either to address it and, as I've mentioned, use it to add depth, or to have Mikuni reconsider and change his own decision. Otherwise, it feels odd that the person who (genuinely) preached against changing others' choices ends up doing it himself for his own convenience, and it's completely accepted, although the antagonist had just been condemned for it.

wwwww... am I being too harsh about it? XD

While this is a critique of the ending, I want to make it clear again that it’s not meant to be disrespectful towards Tanaka-sensei. It comes from a place of appreciation and investment in the story. It’s because I care so much about these characters and themes that I feel compelled to share my thoughts on how the conclusion played out honestly. It’s easy to just call it a good ending simply because everyone is alive and seemingly happy. However, I wanted to take the time to offer a genuine, albeit somewhat critical, evaluation of the final events, because a story as great as Servamp deserves it.

To sum it up, I feel the ending was a bit rushed and didn’t quite match the usual pacing and flow of Servamp. Personally, I’m not sure this was the direction Tanaka had in mind from the start, based on certain elements in the story. But if it was, I respect their choices, even if I don't necessarily agree with all of them.

On the bright side, most of the questions about the Count were answered, and the whole idea of him being an 'entity born from people's emotions' really suits his character.

There are other things worth mentioning, such as the truth about Mikuni's " My fair lady" ability.

In the final chapter, it is revealed that Mikuni's ability isn’t just about the act of murder itself– it’s also about the guilt that comes with it. It’s about the weight on your heart, whether you actually committed the crime or not yourself.

The guilt you feel for it, the emotional burden, replaces the weight of the act itself, and becomes what kills you.

This matches the method of hanging used in the ability, which often symbolizes suicide– because it’s like you’re killing yourself, consumed by the weight of your own guilt.

And this... ties back to a central figure in Mikuni’s life, his mother, Kiriko, whose guilt consumed her and drove her to commit suicide.

So yeah.

The writing there is fire.

I'll have to see if I change my mind regarding certain things when the translation comes out.

[thanakite]

I think one of my main issues with Jayce is his lack of support for Caitlyn

Like they grew up together in a lot of ways and she seems to have looked up to him for a long time and they are essentially like brother and sister in A LOT of ways, but also friends

But following the Progress Day attack when her parents (her mom was likely the main one behind this but Jayce says that her "Parents spoke to the Sheriff" so here we are) got Marcus to essentially fire her as an Enforcer he comes to her and offers her a position as House Talis Security, which Caitlyn clearly states is a ceremonial position where she'd live behind a desk, all things that Caitlyn clearly and decidedly does not want and has not ever wanted and is very clear about her and should be clear to someone who has known her as long as Jayce has

If he came to her with this and he was like "No, I know how it looks, but that's just to get your parents off your back, in reality I will give you free reign (more or less, but essentially, I will support you) to pursue your investigation and with my new backing as a Councilor behind you" then I would believe him to be someone supportive to her and her hopes and dreams and someone who actually knows and understands her (like a sibling or a close friend) after knowing each other as long as they have

Because really, for one her injuries from the Progress Day attack COULD have happened to anyone and could have happened to her even if she wasn't an Enforcer (Because let's be real here she's still nosy and still deeply cares so she could have ended up near the explosion anyway), so forcing her to no longer be an Enforcer over it is illogical and just goes to show that her parents would have picked literally anything to get her to stop being an Enforcer

But Jayce is supposed to be her friend/older brother figure, someone who should decidedly not be siding with her parents here (Even with the concern for her health and safety, he SHOULD know that a ceremonial position where she'd live behind a desk would drive he absolutely up the wall and would make her incredibly miserable, plus again it was a BULLSHIT excuse to get her fired and Marcus likely only went with it because she was poking into things he didn't want her poking into)

And realistically this isn't the only time this happens with him and Caitlyn as despite it being HER investigation, he doesn't get a hold of her to come with him and Vi to bust up the Shimmer factories, but he SHOULD HAVE

Like with Vi it makes sense, they just had a very dramatic parting of the ways and it would have been SUPREMELY awkward to then go back and be like "Hey well actually do you want to come and try and shut down Shimmer with me?"

Caitlyn still would have 1000000% done it, but everything about it would have been too awkward for Vi to do so

Jayce doesn't have that problem though and yet he doesn't do anything to bring her along despite it being her case and him KNOWING IT IS HER CASE and everything else having to do with Caitlyn and her investigation and desire to be an Enforcer and make things better in Zaun and ALL of that

Caitlyn does support Jayce and was even his strongest defender when he was arrested after the heist and explosion at his apartment despite being young and having to go against her dad (Who is arguably the parent she gets along better with, which can easily make it harder to go against that parent in arguments because it can make you worry that they won't support you in future arguments with the parent you get along with less), and she continued to do what she could to support him after the trial when her parents went to drop him like a steaming pile of shit (Something that is never addressed, really, like there is no indication he held this against them at all once Hextech got approved and was shown to work and everything, but he honestly SHOULD have and it should have been a factor to him in choosing to support Caitlyn over the desires of her parents)

So... yeah.

I do like Jayce at times, but things like this supremely frustrate me, because he SHOULD have been someone in Caitlyn's corner who supported her in what SHE wanted to do with her life, but he just... Didn't

[karl-von-moor-official]

Adding to this, here's some advice that actually helped ME and prioritised ME on how to deal with my tics:

try to sleep. Seriously. A good sleep schedule (and also regular meals) will go a long way. And I know that's fucking hard, I know it's hard to maintain a sleep schedule (I'm sleep deprived rn as I am writing this) and I know it can be hard to fall asleep with tics. But it helps when it works!

Get to know your triggers. Whether it be cold air, itchy fabrics, soft mattresses, prolonged sitting/standing, certain noise, it can be many things. But if you find out things that trigger your tics, you can actually actively work against these triggers. E.g. wearing warm clothes when it gets cool, avoiding certain loud areas/getting headphones, buying softer fabrics or a different mattress, taking breaks from long sitting whenever possible. These are just examples from my own experience, but getting to know your own triggers can really help manage everyday life!

Channelling tics into different tics. Now, this one's a little tricky (or should I say ticy) to explain. (Sorry for the pun.) But basically when I can't sleep because I keep getting tics in my back, I try to move my foot instead (which is a common tic of mine) and basically I try to shift a larger tic (such as clenching my back muscles and curling my whole body) into a smaller tic (such as moving my foot/ankles). This doesn't feel as horrible as suppressing tics and isn't as difficult imo, but it helps me fall asleep sometimes.

don't tear yourself up about them. Probably every person with tics knows that stress can influence tics, but we all know that "just relax" is stupid advice! Of course it's amazing if you can minimise stress or at least try to do so in your everyday life, but it's often not possible. What's super important though is to remember not to get mad with yourself for feeling stressed. When I'm stressed and my tics get more frequent, I often slip into a sense of self-resentment. But in the end, all that does is increase my stress! It's silly and I know it and when I can catch me beating myself up about it, I try to stop it. Don't make this harder on yourself than it already is. Be kind to yourself. Which brings me to my next point:

Self-soothing. This is maybe my MOST IMPORTANT ADIVCE because it does WONDERS for me! Find something that actually soothes your nervous system! For me, I rub my fist on my chest in a circular motion. The contact and the movement is soothing to me in a way that helps me relax which actually helps with my tics very often! If you need to have a smooth stone in your pocket at all times to self-soothe, then by all means - do it! Anything, as long as you're not hurting anyone. Literally anything you can do to make yourself feel more at peace will help. Again, don't make it harder on yourself than it already is!

Don't think about it so much. I admit, this advice sounds about as helpful as "just relax", but bear with me for a second. Firstly, tics are often increased by talking about them/thinking about them/giving them attention (I know, because mine are increasing while writing this post). It doesn't have to be like that for every person with tics, but if you are, like me, one of those people whose tics get worse when you talk about them, then don't! In many cases, you don't owe people an explanation. Don't put your tics at the centre of your thoughts. I know that's not easy when they are quite literally a disruption, but the more you can tell them "fuck off, I don't even care, I don't care what you do or what other people think" the less they might bother you. Again, not as simple as it sounds and I'm aware, but sometimes giving a thing too much attention actually makes the thing worse!

All of these are just my own experiences and might not work for you, but if this does reach even a single person who finds it helpful, I'd love that!

Much of the time I find the way that we’re told to manage tics very much prioritises others rather than the person with tics.

Oftentimes it’s about how to make us more palatable to those who don’t have tics, whether that is being in good humour and allowing them to laugh at us regardless of whether we are comfortable with that, locking ourselves up at home so people don’t have to see something “icky”, putting ourselves in the constant discomfort of suppressing tics for no reason but the fact that other people are ignorant.

Justifying ableism as “well what do you expect going out and yelling swear words?”. When my tics first developed my parents threatened to never let me leave the house, go to school or see friends saying that I have to “think of others”. It is always seen as my responsibility to educate and jump through hoops to be treated with basic decency. People make it very clear that their few seconds of discomfort are priority over my entire life.

[podcastwizard]

muffin for breakfast and sandwich for lunch. gotta appreciate a really classic day of eating.

[journey-to-the-attic]

Probs a random question, but IK moved to England when she was quite young, right? Does that mean she developed one of the many accents there, and if so, could you tell us which one?

ooh i haven't really thought about this before... it's definitely not one of the posh ones, that's all i can say--

let me think about this... the boring answer is just "received pronunciation" but the thing about rp is that no one ever has a pure standard english accent anyway. now, this is going to be high specific, but!

take received pronunciation as the base, then make it softly yorkshire - but with an irish inflection on certain words that she learned from her aunt lisa

[fiapple]

i'm getting towards the end of the skypeia arc, & i'd like to say just how much i adore the way the female strawhats have been treated.

just... every aspect of how the way their characters have been previously contextualized influences the story-line is treated with a masterful amount of consideration. we're given so many layers to both of them that enrich not only their characters specifically, but the arc, and the one piece world as a whole. without nami & robin having their specific skills, and their specific values, without those being built upon, the story would have come to a halt.

you could not have skypeia without nami & robin being who they are as individuals. not just because they never would've gotten there without nami, but also because the way these women think is itself foundational to the machinations of the arc as a whole.

to be totally upfront, if you think any other strawhats were more central to the skypeia arc than nami & robin were you are full-on fucking lying to yourself.

[hi-i-just]

Idk, I actually kinda disagree on a whole bc tfone did kinda dodge majority of the problematic stuff that IDW introduced — like context matters in the movie

Because like Orion, who led the revolution against Sentinel? That wasn't peaceful — Orion DID use violence considering they literally engaged in battle as soon as they hit the tower (heh). Orion is not above fighting Sentinel or his forces because it's necessary, but when it's clear there's another way to resolve things that would accost less lives and damage, he took it! And he did by discrediting Sentinel throughout all of Iacon.

Whereas the scenes depicting the citizens running away from Megatron after he orders the High Guard to "burn it all down!" — it's there because it shows how Megatron's violence at that point was... Pointless. No one is standing in his way. Sentinel is already dead. Orion dumped into a hole. Heck even the Death Trackers no longer show up. If he's looking for Sentinel's supporters, he could have launched an investigation and have the High Guard hunt them down but he didn't — the first thing he does after naming himself is to destroy idols of Sentinel, and before Elita interrupts him, you can straight up see he's not shooting at any enemy that was threatening him or the citizens, but rather at nothing and anything. He used his anger at Sentinel's injustice as a blunt weapon — anyone unfortunate to be in its way innocent or not be damned.

Also, the narrative isn't saying Sentinel's life matters — on the contrary, they literally had a train crash into the guy. Orion already says it himself — "Rebuilding Iacon cannot begin with an execution". They're not saying Sentinel didn't deserve what he got, but the message of anyone with a gun can shoot someone who can no longer fight back because they're in a fit of emotion instead of having the criminal undergo any due process sends a message that "you can be executed anytime if we think it's justified enough instead of having a trial" — which just screams UNCHECKED POWER. Which doesn't bode well for a society in need of reformation. I wished every billionaire would drop dead nightly, but even I am aware that society can NOT be governed by our worst impulses. D-16 killing Sentinel when the latter no longer has any power is one such example.

Also, people may debate me on this, but apparently, the Death Trackers are drones, not Cybertronians. They may be advanced enough to emulate "sentience" but they're not really living beings by transformers standards.

Also, not sure if you know this, but like, "Rise up!" came from "Decepticons, transform and rise up!" was used as their like, slogan when Transformers Animated (2007) came out and the used in other iterations since (like Transformers Prime), coined by Animated Megatron, who mind you, was voiced by a white guy (Corey Burton).

And also like, D-16 being a villain and then being voiced by a black man is something akin to "demonising" BLM activists or whatnot just.. Doesn't make much sense because like. Jazz is voiced by a black guy and Bee is voiced by Key who is half black and they're both Autobots, or like Alpha Trion who is voiced by Laurence Fishburne and AT is solidly one of the good guys. Whereas there's like, Sentinel and Starscream, who are both voiced by white people and they're both bad guys.

Like, D-16 is straight up my favorite character because how understandable and relatable he is —I can definitely see my younger self in him and I had the same anger he did for the same reasons (it def hits harder bc I'm not white either). But also like, I don't think him being a villain despite all that makes him a problematic depiction — if anything by giving him understandable and sympathetic origins providing him complexity and depth but STILL fall into his worst flaws made me appreciate him more. It's a caution story, it's a sobering "wow that could easily have been me" story. And I love that it doesn't matter how sympathetic your backstory is — you can STILL drop into the pitfalls of being fascist if you don't choose to rise above your worst impulses. Self-awareness is an important theme in the movie too.

IDW Transformers’ take on the war and the origins of the Decepticons was one of those things that was rly thoughtful and interesting to read as a kid (so as the target demographic I guess lol) only as an adult to have some rly troubling implications like the ones you pointed out. I was EXTREMELY relieved that TF One swapped it back so that the Autobots are the low-class miners and the Decepticons were the military (closer to the original cartoon anyway) while still using the IDW comics as inspiration in other ways.

Transformers One is such a strange case for me because on the one hand, it's propaganda. I'm sorry but it's transparently propaganda, it's executives embracing IDW's attempt at "maturity" that well-intentioned or not, inevitably paints the revolutionaries as villains by having them arbitrarily blow up an orphanage, because we gotta demonize revolutionaries who use violence.

We gotta warn kids of the dangers of the violent revolution, because revolution is only permitted if peaceful! Let's just ignore what we were taught about the American Revolution... Seriously, look at the elites' response to Brian Thompson's assassination!

That being said. This is like 95% speculation. But there are clear differences between IDW and Transformers One. So to me, personally, it feels like the writers —Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari— were aware of the issues of the IDW premise. They were given a basic outline by executives. And so they opted to smooth over the issues as much as they could, work with it, while still being stuck with that basic problem at the end of the day.

So as you've said, I appreciate Orion and D-16 being working-class bots, that they're both coming from the same place. I appreciate the framing of Orion's opposition coming from the concept of Anti-Death Penalty, that no government should have the power to execute people. I appreciate the implications of D-16 siding with disgruntled military soldiers, whose only idea of fixing society is to destroy enemies.

There's something to be said about people who fantasize purely on committing violence, without any of the actual work of rebuilding and keeping things running! That's why Orion's rebellion consists of his fellow miners. I can see the implication, that even if D-16 hadn't gone off, there would inevitably be friction between the High Guard's jingoism and the civilians when Orion reformats things, and bans the death penalty.

...But again, again! D-16 is a black man. Not literally but he's voiced by Brian Tyree Henry, anyone can hear his voice. And his chanting of "Rise up" is juxtaposed with Orion Pax, who is voiced by white MCU star Chris Hemsworth. It feels ridiculous how the movie bends over backwards to paint D-16 as evil with shots of civilians running away from the convenient collateral of his shots, but nothing like that is ever shown with our protagonists and their damage!

B slicing up other Cybertronians is treated as a gag, but Sentinel's life and death matters more than his guards' which is uh. A weird way to frame things. I guess maybe it's because D-16 is doing it out of "reckless anger" whereas B isn't trying to...? But ultimately, the violence of our protagonists is meant to be framed as out of strict necessity, which is something I have to acknowledge.

I can't say for sure what Pearson, Barrer, and Ferrari were thinking. I appreciate Transformers One for smoothing out the edges. But I can't help but see D-16 as a pastiche of BLM activists, of the UHC shooter, because he's willing to be angry and violent towards his oppressors. He's a black man who gets branded and his violence is treated as exceptional and unique because of his anger, meanwhile B's kills are a gag.

There's an irony in that Sentinel's higher-class life is treasured by the narrative, but the lives of his comparatively lower-class bodyguards are worth nothing. The pervasiveness, it felt insidious; It genuinely kept me from enjoying the final battle between Optimus and Megatron, how the narrative wants to be triumphant but the dark undertone can’t be ignored. Call me a buzzkill.

I know people think this sort of trope is meant to be 'nuanced', that it makes for a more 'interesting' villain, one you can relate to and sympathize with. See yourself in. But in the end, you can only go so far in "reclaiming" a stereotype. You can't be in utter denial of the subtext and intention behind it. You can't claim this is actually good writing, I thought we were liking these villains out of spite, not in support of a narrative we think is secretly on our side too!

That executives need a revolution story where the ultimate villain who causes even more violence in the long run is, GASP, a revolutionary who shows people like them no mercy, is telling. There can only be a revolution in media if it shows the elite being deliberately spared at all costs, even to the point of Orion sacrificing his own life (Even if for D-16’s soul), while their own workers like those bodyguards are just fodder.

G1 was not the pinnacle of Leftist media but it was also inoffensive and knew what it was. This is… different.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

The fact that Aveline is nicer to Carver when he's dead than when he's alive is so... oh, I don't know, super goddamn annoying?

"I would've liked him" Aveline, you called him a tit in this exact conversation when I played as a mage just because he didn't want to openly talk about his Ostagar trauma with you in front of everyone, you blocked from a job in the guard, and you're so condescending to him all the time, like???

I don't doubt that Aveline cares about him when he's alive but maybe I wouldn't be so bitter about it if she treated him better.

[oozeandgoo-art]

had an odd dream that i was reading a comic book. sketched a couple of the pages i could remember.

[heich0e]

btw this is exactly what i look like when u reblog my fics and leave nice tags <3

[lightnersdream]