#doesn't mean the game is bad but just my thoughts

[burr-ell]

In the wake of the C3 finale some people have pointed out, correctly, that you can like bad art and dislike good art, and I figured I'd lay some cards on the table and provide some personal examples. I do not like Batman: The Animated Series, nor do I like the Justice League series. Both are highly regarded, BTAS in particular, and remain among the definitive portrayals of many of DC's lineups—they're thoughtful, complicated, and true to the core of the characters. I found them to have plodding pacing, character designs riddled with sameface syndrome, and main casts that feel at best like coworkers. Conversely, Shadow the Hedgehog is one of the worst games in the Sonic franchise; the controls are slippery, the mechanics are poorly implemented, the dialogue is cringey, the tone is legendarily ill-fitting, and the plot is a trainwreck. I completed all 326 possible paths and own a physical copy of the soundtrack of this absolute dogshit game, and the PS2 disc remains on my shelf.

But I don't demand that people stop praising BTAS because I find it overrated. I do not insist that Shadow the Hedgehog was actually a great game and everyone else just doesn't get it, nor do I argue that the critics should just get over it because it's a silly video game for kids. I don't insist that Friends or The Office aged well or always stuck the landing, even though a part of me still likes the escapism of them. I'm not all that interested in watching five grim and dramatic seasons of Breaking Bad, but I respect it as a seminal work of television.

Criticism isn't hate. There is outsized offense being taken over measured criticism in part because that criticism does not hedge or apologize or timidly raise its hand to ask permission, and that is indicative of the real issue. What C3's defenders are outraged by, and what they've been outraged by this whole time, is someone putting an opinion they disagree with in a place where they can see it. And I mean, you do you, but that doesn't sound like a very rewarding, honest, or thoughtful way to live.

[yuu-kantokusei]

Valentine's Day❤️❤️❤️

Third year version

Characters: Cater, Trey, Leona, Vil, Rook, Idia, Malleus, Lilia

TW: cute, fluff, wholesome

♦️Cater Diamond

Cater kicks off Valentine's Day with an energetic selfie spree, dragging you along for the ride. "Come on~! We need at least twenty cute pics for my Magicam story!"

But amidst all the fun, he suddenly pulls out a small heart-shaped box. Inside is a delicate charm bracelet, each charm representing something meaningful—your dorm, a tiny camera, even a little cupcake. "I saw these and thought of you! Cute, right?"

As you admire the gift, he gives you a rare, softer smile. "You make my days way more fun, y’know? Hope you stick around, my fave little Valentine~!"

♣️Trey Clover

Trey surprises you with a special Valentine’s treat—an entire cake, personalized with your name in icing. "Made this just for you," he says, placing it in front of you. "Hope you like it"

As you share the cake, he hands you a small, elegant box. Inside is a silver spoon engraved with your initials. "Figured you could use a good luck charm" he says with a chuckle.

The rest of the afternoon is spent in quiet comfort, baking together in the Heartslabyul kitchen. "Valentine’s isn’t just about romance," he says thoughtfully. "It’s about appreciation too. And I really appreciate you."

🦁Leona Kingscholar

Leona acts like he doesn't care about Valentine’s Day, but when you find a wrapped package on your desk, his scent lingers on it. Inside is a soft, high-quality scarf.

Later, when you go to thank him, you find him lounging under a tree. "Took you long enough to notice," he mutters, eyes half-lidded. "You’re always runnin’ around in the cold. Don’t want you gettin’ sick."

He lazily tugs you down to sit beside him, resting his head in your lap. "Since you’re here, might as well stay. Ain’t got nothin’ better to do than nap with my favorite herbivore." His tail flicks, betraying how much he enjoys your company.

👑Vil Schoenheit

Vil presents you with a beautifully wrapped gift the moment he sees you. Inside is a set of luxury skincare items tailored to your needs. "A beauty as radiant as you deserves proper care," he says with a pleased smile.

He then takes you to a private rooftop dinner, where everything is curated for aesthetics and elegance. As the sun sets, he studies your face. "Out of all the things I strive for, your happiness is one I truly wish to see."

Before you leave, he carefully applies a bit of lip balm to your lips. "Can’t have you walking around with chapped lips, darling," he teases, but his touch lingers a second too long.

🏹Rook Hunt

Rook approaches you with a flourish, handing you a handwritten letter sealed with wax. "Mon trésor, today is a day to celebrate the beauty of devotion! And so, I dedicate this poem to you!"

His words are grand, poetic, and filled with admiration, making your face heat up. Before you can respond, he presents a beautifully carved wooden bow. "A hunter must always cherish their most valuable companion. Let this be a symbol of our bond!"

He then whisks you away on a nature walk, pointing out the beauty in everything—from the way the wind moves to the way your eyes light up when you smile.

🎮Idia Shroud

Idia avoids you all day, only for Ortho to deliver a wrapped box on his behalf. Inside is a limited-edition plush from your favorite game. There’s also a shaky, handwritten note:

"Happy Valentine’s. Don’t make this weird."

Later, you manage to find him hiding in his room, his hair glowing pink. "Ugh, I knew you’d come looking for me," he groans. "I mean… I guess it’s cool that you liked the gift or whatever."

Despite his grumbling, he lets you stay, the two of you gaming together late into the night. At one point, he mumbles under his breath, "This… isn’t so bad."

🐉Malleus Draconia

Malleus appears before you at midnight, inviting you for a walk under the stars. He gestures to the sky, where countless glowing wisps float around you. "I wished to give you a sight as enchanting as you are," he says softly.

He then hands you a beautifully crafted pendant in the shape of a dragon. "This holds a minor enchantment," he explains. "Should you ever need me, it will guide me to you."

As you stare in awe, he gazes at you with quiet intensity. "I have lived many years, yet this is the first Valentine’s I have truly cherished. Because I spend it with you."

🦇Lilia Vanrouge

Lilia starts the day by pranking you with a questionable batch of homemade chocolates. "What? It’s the thought that counts!" he laughs as you gag.

But later, he surprises you with a beautifully played violin piece, dedicating the melody to you. "Music is the language of the heart," he says, eyes twinkling. "And my heart sings for you."

His real gift, however, is a small, enchanted music box. When opened, it plays a soft lullaby. "A tune to remind you that you are always loved," he says, patting your head fondly.

[whoviandoodler]

( @oblivious-chaos you asked me for more details so here you go!!)

I've been thinking about the bad kids' gray morality in relation to combat ever since their fight with johnny spells, when they fully went off the rails, fueled by the memory of what happened in the cafeteria- the highway chase, killing people with no thought given to the moral implications of taking a life, in all the ways fighting that fight like they were in a movie. the gang members weren't people, they were the Enemy, props to be eliminated before they did harm in an almost theatrical display of prowess from the bad kids. this was all the more so highlighted by the fact that their names never even came up in game and were only mentioned by brennan for fun- they never even attempted to have a conversation with these bikers, to treat them in any way like living beings.

and from then on, as gradation in storytelling necessitates, the fights grew harder and harder, and so every time the bad kids fought, they were scrambling. they were the underdogs. especially with the final bosses- they were davids fighting against goliaths, waging impossible fights and barely winning, often leaving all in one piece purely through luck and/or the little man's ingenuity (kristen's clerical talent, fig making the diamonds via performance in the nightmare king's forest, etc).

in many ways, in their eyes, they're still those fourteen year old children standing in the cafeteria, watching someone die for the first time. experiencing that quick, decisive flip where the world went from a place of adventure filled with swashbuckling and bright lights to a real, brutal place where a miscalculation or just pure bad luck marks the difference between walking away from a fight and your corpse being carried away. and yes, they've gotten stronger, and more confident, and became better tacticians, but there's still that energy in them, that terrified, small place that makes them bare their teeth and swing to kill not wound.

but oh my god, are they no longer those children. it remind me of when zelda told gorgug that he still thinks he's that loser kid and thus carries himself and makes decisions based off of that mistaken, leftover impression, and it's a trend that doesn't stop at gorgug, or romantic ventures. they're legitimately terrifying fighters, and they keep on growing stronger and stronger, and one day they will no longer be davids but goliaths, and unless they stop to reevaluate where they are in the food chain they will miss the moment that happens and keep hitting with their full strength against people much weaker than them for perceived threat. the situation that happened with fathrethriel, where fig nearly murdered someone because he was annoying, will start happening more and more often, even when there's no brennan to meta their awareness of their strength and the strength of others.

so the way i see it, and a really fun thing to consider/roll around, is their potential for villainy- outside of the current situation which is itself pretty dark, even if the genre of the show most often makes light of it (which i do like! it both allows us to enjoy the show as it is presented on the surface, and to consider it through a lens of more mundane morality; it's also why i had no issues with them killing kipperlilly as a story choice- i saw some fans were upset that it happened (which is valid!) because she was a manipulated child not a beacon of evil and it wasn't acknowledged in-story, but imo the implications of not acknowledging it and what it means for the bad kids' morality are equally as delicious)

[fangdokja]

Not really a request, but just a thought to share with you! (If that’s alright?)

Imagine Yandere! Demon King having to resort to “granting” his darling immortality, having realized that her lifespan was impeccably fleeting compared to his and demonkind. And seeing how unruly, ferocious, and self-reliant she was throughout their entire time together (or more like her captivity), he went through the trouble of binding her to him in body and soul by turning her into a succubus.

With this, she would be forced to rely on him during “feeding hours”, leaving her utterly helpless as she refuses to “feed” on other people.

Not only would this bring her closer to him, but also the fact that she’s under his dominion now as a demoness.

— Random Anon

WARNING: Semi-formal rambling and formatting. Includes Library Recommendations (nsfw + sfw).

If you guys want Reader lore? (low-key surprised people asking for Reader lore in some series) Well... I already have it all prepared. It's coming next week. Not all of Reader lore yet, but enough to tell you that Reader is not as helpless against even the Yandere! Love Interests, as one might believe:

We have four new characters coming up. And these guys are part of the top tier powerhouses, even compared to Yandere! Demon King. Most likely stronger actually. Actually maybe the strongest four man lineup in the entire series. And personally, I like these guys best. Though, unsure if I'll give them more screentime than one chapter. There's reason for that, but we'll see.

I also have four more new characters alongside these guys, but I haven't finished writing for them as of the moment.

WHY IS THIS SERIES SO POPULAR. adnljdsddsgawfuishas. Is it really 'cause it's otome isekai???? or something else hahaha. I was literally just writing about myself 😭 I DID NOT MEAN TO MAKE THIS INTO AN ACTUAL SERIES.

OK, now onto the ASK + Library Recommendations (sfw + nsfw).

Nice to meet you, Random Anon :)) I'm glad you're comfortable enough to speak with me about your thoughts. Don't worry, it's fine. I'm glad you're willing and open to share ideas or thought dumps.

Also, out of topic, but I like how you guys are picking "names" and not just emojis haha. Actually, for me, I prefer you guys picking actual names of your choosing. I don't want to constrain the name picking, so feel free to name yourselves anything, when asking anonymously. It'll also help me identify you better. Just make sure it aligns with the blog RULES and Tumblr guidelines.

Ok, this is a thought. But, even in dark humor content and especially in world building. Logic and reality is a must here. I heavily dislike making non-canon lore, it's basically me writing fanfiction on my own work. I can do it, but I heavily prefer canon works only. It's also in my RULES. I will always prefer transparency and honesty, so I will be honest in my answer here. I am aware what you gave is a thought dump and an imagine-scenario, so not necessarily canon. Just sharing thoughts. But, I will expand on the reality of who Reader is.

Reader doesn't just have basic intelligence, nor a dead inside personality when it comes to romance. Canonically speaking, Reader can in fact take on the love interests. So, why does Reader rely on wit, the romance system, and no-powers-mode?

Well, that will come in the next extension of the series. Yes, I'm officially making these into a Headcanons Series. This one:

Yandere! Otome Game

♡ Characters Included. Yandere! Crown Prince, Archduke, Supreme Mage, Demon King, War Hero, Master Thief, Enemy Spy, Demon Assassin

Drabbles

How do you escape a yandere harem? Asking for a very distressed friend (me).

How to Turn ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ Into a Very Literal Situation.

"Romance is a garbage genre, but if I have to play, I might as well do it on easy mode."

The love interests were bad. The backup plans are worse.

One of them wants to marry you. The other wants to make sure he never does.

Headcanons 1 : How to Survive a Reverse Harem (You Don’t) (General)

I hate it here.

Why am I saying this? Because based on the timeline of the current story with Reader officially escaping and in hiding. It's practically an impossibility for any of the Yandere! Love Interests to try capturing and doing whatever they want with Reader. Yes, impossible.

And even if there was a slim chance of capture even before the escape. Let me tell you know.

No. It's impossible.

Why am I so sure? Well, you'll know why once the new characters come out.

In actuality, all my Reader characters have lore. I just don't give it away so freely, compared to yandere lore. Why? Well, I focus mostly on yandere content for one. The other is because all my Readers are meant to have enigmatic backgrounds. No, I did not just make this because I want you all to feel more in-depth self-insert or something.

The Reader characters have actual lore in fact, all of the characters I make do. I just don't say it outright, because spoilers obviously.

I wouldn't be a psychological horror-thriller author, if I gave things away so easily. I decided to give some crumbs because of the effort Random Anon put into this message. I want you to know, Random Anon, that I appreciate you having the courage to do this, being comfortable with me, and giving me a message of substance. So, thank you.

And, it's why I'm taking this seriously, even if it may disagree with yours or others' thoughts. These crumbs are canon information on the series and characters.

Ok, I rambled a lot. But, to clarify the following:

It's impossible for Yandere! Demon King to turn Reader into a demoness. Considering it's still very early into the series, and unlike my novellas, this is still a lighthearted dark humor series. As of the moment, there will be no permanent and explicit horror factors yet. Why? Characters are still being introduced. Did you really think I'd stop at eight? haha.

Anyways. Yes, later on, it can be changed. But not now.

The Veteran Readers and those who have read my novellas, should know how I write. Take a dip and see how I actually write my horror content. Like this one, newly uploaded as well. It's not even novella length, it's also a headcanons series, if that's what you're used to:

Yandere! Author

Headcanons 1 : Fate’s Final Draft (General)

He’s the hero in his own story… and you’re his latest toy.

🔞"You like happy endings? Too bad. I don’t write those."

I recommend reading Part 2, if you want to see how I write my actual horror content.

Anyways. I'm saying this now. If you honestly think I'll write vanilla yandere content, then I'm sorry, I don't. What I mean is that ALL the Yandere! Love Interests are still part of my yandere collection. Hence, they'll do way more than just controlled feeding and monitoring lifestyles. Especially the demon race, for example.

Or, rather, the stronger they are, the more dangerous they become.

These are the kind of yanderes I generally write: Dom + Top + Older + Sadistic + Red / Black Flag Yanderes

Nor do I hold back in writing horror content.

What you gave is basically the barebones part of yandere content. Trust me when I say, Yandere! Demon King is going to do a lot worse than just isolate and force feed you. In fact, I would even say, he would NOT turn Reader into a demoness. Why? Well, let's just say, he's not as kind and collected as he seems. And I'm not talking about him simply being an emotional mess.

Would Yandere! Demon King grant Reader immortality. No, he wouldn't. Not only is it illogical for him in his eyes, but he has better plans than simply turning Reader into a doll or servant.

Not to mention, yeah, I mentioned Yandere! Demon King can be emotionally unstable. But, I don't mean in simply losing his cool and patience; thus losing his sense of rationality, then acting reckless and stupid. Or losing himself in rage and emotional turmoil. It's something better.

Also, for non-human races. Here, to give you New Readers an idea on how I write them. Read the Sukuna part if you want to know:

Novella 1 : Dominate Me, Daddy. (Brat Tamer)

🔞Will you scream? Or will you beg? (Bakugo Katsuki, Yoichi Isagi, Ryōmen Sukuna, Rex Lapis, Sunday)

I know some of you New Readers came here for dark humor, and lighthearted comedy. But. Let me tell you now, once I write actual "true yandere" content. Well, it's not for the faint of heart.

I only made the dark humor content because I was mindblocked on horror content. It's basically idea generation to me, so I can exercise my brain for erotic horror.

The true yanderes I make are hard doms + top + older + unapologetic + sadistic + does not need darling's validation + will hurt the darling + may kill the darling + truly confident in themselves.

They do not care nor need the darling's permission, validation, feelings, etc. to take what they want. They're not weaklings like that. As individuals, they are strong in their own right. Including mentality.

Yes, this also includes the yanderes in the drabbles.

Do you want to know the ONLY yanderes that won't physically hurt you? It's these guys:

Yandere! Royal Guards

Drabbles

Royal Duties: looking pretty, sitting still, watching your guards destroy the kingdom.

You got isekai’d. Now three murder machines think your blank stares are divine wisdom.

And, that's because they're engineered to protect you, not harm you. These yanderes are the only canon yanderes that will never hurt you physically. They're the ones who will protect you with their lives. Aside from them? Nothing. No one. Every single yandere in my library will hurt and may kill you. Yes. Even if they may not seem like it, even if it's dark humor content, even if they look ridiculous and dramatic.

And you know the good thing about being a psychological horror-thriller author?

No one can tell what happens next.

❤︎ Fang Dokja's Books.

♡ Book 1. A Heart Devoured (AHD): A Dark Yandere Anthology ♡ Book 2. Forbidden Fruits (FF): Intimate Obsessions, Unhinged Desires. ♡ Book 3. World Ablaze (WA) : For You, I'd Burn the World. ♡ Book 4 [you are here]. Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows. ♡ Book 5. Ink & Insight (I&I): From Dead Dove to Daydreams. ♡ Library MASTERPOST 1. The Librarian’s Ledger: A Map to The Library of Forbidden Texts.

♡ Disclaimer. Not all stories are included in the masterpost due to Tumblr’s link limitations. However, most long-form stories can be found here. If you're searching for a specific yandere or theme, this guide will help you navigate The Library of Forbidden Texts. Proceed with caution—these tales explore obsession, madness, and devotion in their rawest forms.

[niteshade925]

I can see how the regional phenomena in totk is basically totk's version of a modern 4 horsemen of the apocalypse: pollution (the sludge), addiction (marbled rock roast), climate change (the extreme blizzard; admittedly this one is a bit of a stretch), and pestilence/infectious disease (the giant mosquito boss and the undead gibdo). Which, hey, references to real life issues, great, but what I didn't like so much was how you can just solve puzzles and fight bosses--basically have a handful of big name heroes running around doing tasks--and the water will magically clear up, the addicts will magically become normal people again, the extreme storms will magically dissipate, and the pestilence will magically disappear. Real life does not work that way. I know, I know, it's a game why you taking it so seriously blah blah, but I'm just saying, we have to remember that for any of these problems to be solved, it takes a lot of effort and cooperation from a lot of people to accomplish, and that's definitely an understatement.

[sysig]

A lot of early concept stuff was expression/pose brainstorming - there’s the classic six Webkinz emotions (which, I learned have been largely pared down to just four after a point! Since they got rid of Dr. Quack’s role, there’s no more “sick” expression and most ‘Kinz’ tired and sad expressions are the same! >:0 What’s the point of having an easily editable puppet with the spaghetti code intact that you have to put an image there AnyWay and not make a slightly different expression!! H’f) as well as the main Sakura poses - so if I’m already making up expressions, why no go a little further! :D

One of the expressions I definitely needed up top was Mischievous - working with a cat, that’s the only logical conclusion really. I think it’s funny that she swerves the compliment only to pay it right back as well lol

The ticklish expression is one I’m still going back and forth on! I’m half tempted to have it be somewhere between happy and angry - maybe a mood gradient, starting out just positive and slowly moving into “Hey stop! >:0″ if it’s too many times in a row? It’s a thought haha

Similarly so, messing with her ears - bothering your pets is a very important element of socialization (lol)

As seen above, I’d reallyyy like to figure a way to have a dual-visual mood system - both the ‘Kinz body language/expression/emotion and a more exact stat bar. I’m still chewing on this idea a bit, no pun intended lol. That and click-and-drag with an actual image you can drag around your screen, hm and hm! Much to think about. Her face here turned out cute and funny haha, helped me push the expression more comedic

Much better :) Webkinz already has some well-known food dialogue, my favourite is probably “Mmm to the mmmax!” haha

Each low-mood would have their own emotion tied to it, but what about somewhere in the middle? I like the idea of the ‘Kinz getting bored if they’re left alone for too long! And little paw taps, showing off her embroidered paw pad haha ♪

[thegreatyin]

to put a long story short: at the end of ffxiv's base game, literally Directly before the beginning of its first expansion (heavensward), there is a series of quests and story arcs that eventually snowball into an hour-long cutscene in which the entire thing comes to a head in the literal worst way possible. like, "the hero's plans all go horribly wrong and several major characters die onscreen, with others going missing (presumed dead), eventually culminating in the player character being framed for the murder of the leader of a nation-state and being Literally Forced To Flee The Country" wrong.

heavensward leads directly on from this plotline. you arrive at the major location of the expansion in the midst of seeking asylum whilst being a wanted criminal everywhere else in the world right now. it's like. A Whole Thing. the game makes such a big deal out of it all. the fandom does as well. and for good reason!! it's a really good moment!!!!!!

and then roughly 1/3rds of the way into heavensward you find out that literally none of it mattered. nobody important actually died, no changes were actually made to the status quo, and nothing comes of being literally kicked out of the country for (what is implied to be) several in-universe weeks, if not months. None Of It Mattered. None.

TLDR; the bloody banquet is a major, exciting, and very infamous twist that seems like it's going to segway into a MAJOR upheaval of the status quo and some really intriguing ramifications for the story as a whole... and then heavensward does away with literally all of that and practically writes the entire thing off as a waste of time.

you may be able to see why i'm so salty about it.

[kevingorg]

joe smith my best friend joe smith i never said anything bad about joe smith.

[selfinflictedgunshotwound]

men are so disappointing in so many ways i know i shouldn't expect most of them to be dignified humans but it's crazy. i need to get over this guy he's making my sense of self crumble even faster than it usually does. like he's just so unlike my usual type and i'm pretty convinced he's stupid and slutty and not discerning whatsoever. not to mention boring like i know even if i did have a chance with him he wouldn't Get Me at all so it's a bigger waste of time that usual and i'm actually pretty tired of men in general and definitely tired of parasocial relationships because they drive me insane for months typically. thankfully it's only been like 2 weeks if that at this point. idk. sigh. i know literally virtually nothing abt him as a person and ofc liking any public figure who you know nothing about is only setting yourself for heartbreak and disappointment to begin with bc you already know nothing is gonna come from it but. in a way it's almost addictive to become obsessed with someone and not be looked at with the same level of scrutiny. i don't think anyone in real life would ever try to get to know me as much as i try to get to know people who i'll never even meet. lmao! but that's the thing... idk... i have a lot of love in my heart and it consumes me and i reject my pride usually when i'm into someone. i want to know more... like VORACIOUSLY consuming anything with information about them involved simply because i think knowing someone is a very deep form of love but of course you can never truly know anyone. not completely. and that scares me i think which is why it's always probably been easier for me to never really TRY to be with anyone or have anything real. idk. this turned into me psychoanalyzing myself real quick but SOMEONE needs to bc i need to understand what the fuck is wrong w me.

[blujayonthewing]

SUPREMELY frustrating that we found something actually really cool and intriguing and plot relevant in tonight's session but I'm still so constantly preoccupied with whether the DM is going to 100% kill us with sheer poor game design that I barely have enough brainspace left over to even enjoy it

[equalperson]

sometimes I believe that My tendency to avoid telling My family when I'm having health issues is just the result of avoidant cognitive distortions, but then I actually do it, get told that it's "normal" and/or a lifestyle issue, and realize the real cognitive distortion was expecting help at all -_-

[incomplete-ruler]

Ah fuck, even Incomplete Ruler sounds so much better on my new headphones. The amount of times I've streamed this song from DAY 1 of this year (more like week 1) is insane and we're now close to the end the year.

[quirkle2]

i wish i wouldn't do this to myself. why do i buy games on steam and then not play them for a while and then hate them and request a refund way outside of the refund time window

[netherdevil]

so i have 9 hours so far on ZZZ

i downloaded it JUST TODAY. AT 1PM. thats not normal

[my-thoughts-and-junk]

my new thing is obsessing over a funny little guy for a few months before moving onto another funny little guy

[cave-monkey]

Monkey King 2009 Episode 3

Them having Stone Monkey (apparently purely on instinct) constantly scratching while being introduced to the troop was pretty cool, since that's a legitimate deescalation behavior in monkeys. Something about how revealing stress acts as a bonding behavior and makes it less likely they'll be attacked. Humans do it too, kind of, when they rub at their hands or shoulders or neck (etc. etc.) when nervous or overwhelmed. ("Empathize with me! I am very stressed!").

Also something-something instinctive behaviors aside Stone Monkey being excited/overwhelmed/maybe a little overstimulated and choosing "ESCALATION!!!" as his response to all of that. He thinks the troop being scared of him is hilarious. He's scratching the fur off his arms but he's also going to get right up in your face anyway. Cautiously join him in admiring his cool new rock? He is going to play-lunge and also scream. Absolutely amazing. The troop has no idea what to do with these mixed signals. This kid is a menace and I love him.

Six Ears even gets in on the scratching behavior occasionally in the background, which might be because Stone Monkey actively terrorizing literally everyone trying to be playful (because he has the social skills of a literal, actual rock) is stressing Six Ears right out or it could be an attempt to deescalate on Stone Monkey's behalf. Monkey version of following in his new friend's wake throwing apologetic grimace-smiles at everyone. Possibly it's both. Point is: They included these behaviors and it's very fun.

You can also tell it worked because in just the journey to the cave you watch the four generals' views on Stone Monkey go from "uncanny valley horror entity lurking in the forest probably to kill us all" to "what a rude little kid >:| Emphasis on RUDE."

And, okay, I admit, I have softened my stance on the four generals. Somewhat. They seem to actually be taking their jobs seriously now. Maybe Episode 1 was a wake-up call and they won't utterly fail to notice an incursion until it's in the heart of their territory again. I don't want to go too crazy, but maybe they'll even be able to even muster a coherent response! Good for them.

Should probably still not be managing children, though.

Speaking of, Six Ears's increasing despair watching the train wreck in motion that was the four generals fumbling hard in giving Stone Monkey his very first etiquette lesson after he finally settled down and seemed willing to hear them out is also very relatable and hilarious. He knows they failed the test. Stone Monkey is definitely never going to listen to them again. They blew it. RIP Flower Fruit Mountain.

Stone Monkey does check in with Six Ears when he decides the generals are useless about explaining though, and that's pretty cute. He trusts his friend :) He also definitely internalizes that thing about having to ask to leave the presence of the king, so at least they managed to teach him some manners. ONE manners. A single manner. (Spoiler: They immediately regret this.)

But hey! This time Six Ears is left entirely to his own devices and still manages to get caught smack in the middle of enemy action. Not the Generals' fault for once! Six Ears just attracts this kind of thing, I guess.

3/3 Six Ears is Damsel-ed, but only 2/3 it's the adults' fault. The tally develops.