#general category of 'monster lover' even though he's not a monster even in his worst moments of self loathing)

[one-of-us-must-be-crazy]

trying to figure out how to get this past the tumblr bots...

n*t s*fe f*r w*rk under the cut. Like really.

So I know I’ve used the gag  of “Amanda Ripley finds something awful that has to do with robots at an antique market and brings it home to the displeasure of her housemate, which might be the main reason she got it” a lot. but trust me on this one I’m dying over it.

On a MUCH needed vacation to somewhere on-Terra, Amanda goes to an antique shop that specializes in old comics and other geekery and finds a few things she might get (some Star Trek fanzines from the 70′s that she shouldn’t spend that much on, but wow that one is near mint; a comic adaptation of a Heinlein novel, some Sandman, idk) but comes across a box of Adult Comics and finds this monstrosity:

I don’t know what it’s about or what’s in it or if it’s an actual comic or an artist using PS to make their work look like a vintage comic, but I took some liberties to get to the horrible, horrible nonsense. 

Despite her initial cringe reaction and internal bitching about the lack of understanding of female  body proportions, she really appreciates the style the android was drawn in; it shows an eerie resemblance to the internal structures of early synthetic models, even if the head looks like a bad cross between Robocop and Terminator. She’s still thinking this over when her phone buzzes, her own antsy, anxious android wondering where she went becuase they were supposed to meet back up at the hotel room an hour ago to change before heading for the (beach, lake, again, idk) and....the little demon on her shoulder shoves the angel off her other shoulder and she slips the comic into her existing stack of books, hoping the clerk notices nothing.

Samuels reaction is almost invisible; after all she’s brought home similar such nonsense before, even if it wasn’t so graphic. They have that Forbidden Planet poster in the main room still and he’s come to appreciate it as an in-joke between them when friends who don’t know about his nature (or rather lack of nature) when they come on a rare visit. 

“Ripley do you know a language other than English?”

“No, but I don’t need to read to see the pictures.”

“That android is from a generation that lacked--er, fully human anatomies. I’m only the second line to be....accurate.” he’s so flustered; as if he forgets she has intimate first hand knowledge of the realism he’s designed with.

“Okay but clearly this one didn’t; and clearly it’s older than that anyway, and clearly it is smut and not an actual historical or recent technical guide or anything.”

“.....Synthetics--I didn’t think that as a.... as an erotic preference the concept has existed for so long.”

“Robot kink? I mean, I guess it was a thing. I found a lot of explicit fanfiction for androids from movies when I was a teenager, and some of it was going back to mid-21st century.”

“I don’t want to think about that, or about that comic, and can you please not say anything about the comic.”

Ripley pages through it with a closer eye than she did in the comic shop. At one point her eyebrows raise and Samuels starts wondering if he shouldn’t have just walked down to the beach himself and left her alone with it.

“Chris look at this one,” she turns the book around to show him a double-page set of three panels that display such an uncomfortable looking scenario that he thinks he’s impossibly blushing.

“Clearly not done from human models.”

“Okay but you might be able to do that--”

“p a r d o n ?” he manages to get out while Ripley flicks through a couple more pages. 

“So we could really start using this. Maybe they have similar ones there; I’ll head back later and--”

“Amanda.”

“Look at this one and tell me you don’t want to try it,” she holds up another page.

“I do not want to test the limitations of my joins or tendons, especially not on vacation, and especially not when we’re hours away from the nearest synthetics lab should something happen.”

“Fair enough,” she goes through one more page, and simply stares. Samuels, lacking any kind of self preservation instinct walks over to see it.

“Amy, if you love me please don’t say anything else.”

“I can’t tell if that was a hard nope or a soft yes on this one, but I’ll have to pass becuase I’m not sure that I can bend that way.”

[seducing-a-vampire]

ON BEING HONEST AND WHY I THINK SIMON WILL BE THE FIRST TO SAY “I LOVE YOU”

Two things sparked this meta:

Baz yelling “you’re so beautiful” to Simon, but Simon not hearing it— the moment that lives rent-free in my head 24/7

Rainbow’s recent Fall for the Book interview, when she said that she thinks that Baz is “settling for Simon” in Wayward Son

Here’s something we all know: our guys really suck at saying nice things out loud to each other. For two people are constantly thinking nauseatingly sweet and loving things about each other, they almost never actually verbalize them. 

I ended up going through a lot of quotes and tracking some of the nice things that they actually do say to each other, and I’ll offer some very  r a m b l i n g  thoughts on what I think Simon and Baz’s respective paths indicate for AWTWB. 

I was interested in the intersection of when Simon and Baz are being honest to each other (aka saying some of the nice things that they’re always thinking) with when Simon and Baz are being honest about themselves (aka self-acceptance).

TL;DR, my prediction for their path through honesty is:

Simon’s self-acceptance (which starts at the end of WS)

Simon’s honesty to Baz re: love

Baz’s honesty to Simon re: love

Baz’s self acceptance

**Below the cut because it got super long, yikes**

Phase 1: Simon being nice/honest in CO

The first nice-ish interaction between Simon and Baz in Carry On is when Simon follows Baz up to the Mage’s office, and they find Baz’s baby photo:

“Here,” [Simon] says softly, holding it out to me. “I’m… sorry.” (204)

Simon tones down his initial hostility in this scene after he sees the photo. This moment, along with Natasha’s visitation, catalyzes a real change in how Simon views Baz, and it’s indicative of the larger shift (vulnerability → Simon seeing Baz as more than his enemy → Baz wearing jeans → oops I love him). This trajectory continues during their truce-- there are still a few moments of hostility, but honestly on the whole, Simon is pretty nice to Baz:

“You don’t want to hurt me,” I say, trying to push him back. “Isn’t that right? I’m sorry. Look at me, I’m sorry.” (210)

“I’ll help you,” he says (217)

“Baz,” I yell. “No! You’re flammable!” (238)

All of this culminates in the kisses in the forest, and Simon says a few more nice and affirming things around that point:

“They say your soul dies.”   “That’s tosh,” he says. (300)

“You’re not a monster,” I say. His face is cold as a corpse in my hand. “I was wrong. All those years. You’re a bully. And a snob. And a complete arsehold. But you’re not one of them.” (339)

“I won’t,” I say. I’ve never turned my back on you. And I’m not starting now.” (340)

Something that stood out to me after reviewing these moments is that Simon’s shift from enemies to lovers is actually pretty linear. As he learns more about Baz during their truce and they grow closer, Simon hates Baz less and consequently says nicer things to him, until he ultimately realizes he doesn’t hate Baz at all, so he kisses him and asks him to be his boyfriend. Weirdly logical behavior for someone so thick. Simon is being pretty open and honest, and this makes sense because Simon understands himself pretty well at this point. His big crisis of character comes in the next book. 

The thing is, at this point in Carry On, Baz has not said a single nice thing to Simon. The closest you could get is when he asks Simon to come to his house for Christmas, which is a great moment but is quickly muddled by their ensuing fight. 

(awesome thoughts about that moment here)

Baz has acted nicely, but he has remained sarcastic and aloof even after Simon kisses him. 

We get a few compliments of Simon’s power:

“You have to stop doing that.”  

“What?”

“Godlike displays of magic.” (348)

“You’re the most powerful magician alive-- who’s ever lived, probably.” (355)

I won’t repeat @super-duper-twelve’s brilliant meta on this, but this category of compliment is not ultimately that useful for their general communication.

Simon keeps pushing, despite the cold walls Baz tries to put up, and he asks Baz to be his “terrible boyfriend.” Honestly, it astounds me how much confidence Simon must’ve had to just shoot his shot there, because Baz was not giving him a ton of reason to think he’d go for it. Me as simon would’ve definitely been like: ok cool, nice kiss, he definitely still hates me though.

Phase 2: Baz being nice/honest

I want to be clear: it’s perfectly understandable why Baz, a flawed fictional character, is not nice to Simon. His trajectory from enemies to lovers is completely different, because he’s spent years loving Simon while acting like his enemy. He’s had great practice at that, and it’s the most relatable thing ever that he is afraid of getting hurt when he’s believed Simon to be an impossible dream for so long. This is also understandable when viewed through the lens of self-acceptance because huge facets of Baz’s identity are constantly being covered up and ignored by himself or by the people close to him (vampire, gay). He knows himself, sure, but he’s a very long way from self-acceptance.

Anyway, Baz does actually agree to be Simon’s boyfriend, and we get a couple of honest Nice Things that they say to each other during that brief period.

Unfortunately, this mutual honesty/niceness is incredibly short lived, because everything changes quickly after this: Humdrum, Mage, Ebb, etc. Simon’s world falls apart, and Baz is there to comfort him, affirm him, and (finally) be honest and nice. Their whole dynamic turns on its head. 

“You did it, didn’t you?” Baz whispers. “You defeated the Humdrum. You saved the day, you courageous fuck. You absolute nightmare.” (491)

“It’s going to be okay… it’s all right, love.” (492)

“You were the centre of my universe,” I say. “Everything else spun around you.” (506)

“Looking at you was like looking directly into the sun.” (507)

“You’re still Simon Snow. You’re still the hero of this story--” (507)

“It was brave. It was brave and selfless and clever. That’s who you are, Simon. And I’m not going to get bored with you.” (507)

“I choose you,” I say. “Simon Snow, I choose you.” (508)

To summarize and possibly oversimplify:

Up until the night of the Mage and Ebb’s death, Simon was the one pushing forward, being honest, and looking to break down the boundaries and walls between them. 

After that point, Baz finally feels ready to be all in with Simon, and Simon retreats inward. 

Phase 3: Wayward Son

We see this dynamic play out in Wayward Son, with almost no change throughout the whole book. Right from the very first chapter, Simon is thinking:

“Everything that happened with the Mage and the Hum-drum just made Baz more of who he was meant to be… He proved himself as a man and a magician. He proved himself right: The Mage really was evil! And I really was a fraud—’the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen,’ just like Baz used to say. He was right about me all along. “ (8)

I think it’s really notable that Simon can use his boyfriend’s words to justify his own worst self-doubts and self-loathings, because it indicates the consequences of them spending way more time insulting each other than ever being honest and affirming.

In Wayward Son, tender and honest moments between Simon and Baz are few and far between and mostly in the form of post-battle kisses. The only real communication that we see between them comes in flashbacks, wherein we see how much Simon has pulled back from Baz (the descriptions of his reaction to physical intimacy being one example of this). 

Even when Baz says nice things to Simon and affirms him, Simon’s presumed depression largely keeps him from believing and internalizing those things (through no real fault of either person. Again, very understandable ways for both of these flawed characters with traumatic pasts to behave!!!!!). Baz yells, “you’re so beautiful” to Simon, and he doesn’t even hear him (a gutting moment that I consider indicative of the general dynamic between them throughout the book).

Now, we get to Rainbow’s comments about Baz “settling for Simon.” I feel this. Simon is pushing Baz away and giving Baz basically nothing, and that is not a healthy dynamic. Baz is going through his own crap and self-doubt and self-acceptance, and Simon is not there for him apart from fits of jealous rage. As we learned in Carry On, it takes a lot for Baz to even feel remotely comfortable expressing his feelings for Simon, and with many months lacking that, it starts to wilt. 

What’s next: Prologue and AWTWB

Of course, the moment of truest communication in the second book comes at the very end:

“Why can’t you just admit that you’d be happier here?” “Why can’t you see that I wouldn't be happier anywhere without you?” (353)

I think the key to understanding what might come after this agonizing moment lies with Simon’s thoughts as he sits alone on the beach.

Before Baz arrives, Simon’s not thinking about his boyfriend. He’s thinking about himself. He’s contemplating his role in the World of Mage’s (hello, synopsis for AWTWB), and he’s taking a good, long look in the mirror. He’s starting to be honest about himself and accept himself (not perfectly, and I think this imperfect acceptance is reflected in his expressed desire to get rid of his wings, but he’s getting there). 

When Simon talks about Baz staying in America and being happy, Simon is not closing himself up and pushing Baz away, which he had done for so long and which caused so much miscommunication up to this point. Rather, this is a moment of true honesty on Simon’s part. 

Baz does need to learn more about himself and his vampirism. Simon recognizes this about Baz, just as Simon is trying to understand himself, too. In this moment, Simon is being true and vulnerable and speaking from a place of love. Baz refuses to self-reflect honestly and understand the truth in what Simon is saying, instead clinging to his love for Simon (without actually verbalizing that love). Throughout WS, Baz makes very stunted progress (see: his floral clothing as symbolism, being able to retract his fangs, meeting other vampires and learning about immortality and all that fun stuff), but in the end he doesn’t let himself actually think about that in any real way. Despite what Simon says, Baz has not yet “become more of who he was meant to be.” 

Importantly, this is in the “Prologue,” the beginning of the next phase in their healing and their relationship. As the balance shifts, this could be the beginning of real communication, but Simon needs to take the next step. At the end of WS, Baz is the one holding back. Baz isn’t able to accept himself honestly, so he won’t be able to fully let Simon in, either. 

Until Simon says “I love you,” they won’t get anywhere in their relationship. Simon needs to say it first, he needs to be vulnerable and honest in a way that he hasn’t been since before the Mage’s death, and Baz needs to understand those feelings in order to fully express his own. Then, I see Simon’s fully expressed love and support as a catalyst for Baz’s final self-acceptance. 

I think Simon will be unable to fully express his love for Baz until he has understood and accepted himself. However, Baz will continue to prioritize Simon/love over his own self-acceptance until either (A) Simon and Baz break up, or (B) Baz finally has confidence and security in their relationship because Simon has broken down the barriers of honesty and said “I love you.” Simon needing to say “I love you” first also gets at the idea of Simon needing to become someone that Baz deserves (per Rainbow’s words). 

So, I predict this as their path through honesty:

Simon’s self-acceptance (which starts at the end of WS)

Simon’s honesty to Baz re: love

Baz’s honesty to Simon re: love

Baz’s self acceptance

And then they will live happily ever after. The end.

*** Please let me know what you think and if this makes any sense!! ***

[fleshpurifies]

THE BIG BLEACH HC MEME centering around politics, repost & fill out! For anyone who wanted to explore those aspects more, considering it played a big role in the story. Some things may be unknown to your Muse, just think in WHAT IF then & well, have fun and take your time!

BASICS

Name:   Unohana   / / /    Age:  3000+   / / /      Gender:   nonbinary woman Race:   Shinigami / Quincy / Hollow / Fullbringer / Visored / Human / Other Currently lives:   Soul Society / Hueco Mundo / Silbern / Living World / Hell Exact Location:  Seireitei Group(s):  Gotei 13, Squad 4, Squad 11 (formerly)

QUESTIONS

- Would your muse consider themselves more: GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL ? - Would your muse consider their group more: GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL ? - How does your muse think others see them: GOOD / EVIL / NEUTRAL ? - How does your muse think others see their race: GOOD / EVIL / NEUTRAL ? - How does your muse think others see their group: GOOD / EVIL / NEUTRAL ?

- Is your muse considered a threat: YES / NO ?   By whom?:  Central 46 , to the Soul Society governed by laws and ideals of justice , to any living creature in any and all realms on an instinctual level - Is your muse powerful: YES / NO ?  Could they be considered OP:  YES / NO ? (probably... but i love op women so keep them coming) - Did your muse commit any crimes: YES / NO ? (sweaty emoji) - Does your muse think they are doing mostly the right thing: YES / NO ? - Would society think the same: YES / NO / MIXED OPINIONS ? Does your muse think they are treated unfairly: YES / NO ? - Does your muse feel understood from others: YES / NO ? - Is it important for them what others think of them as a person: YES / NO ? - Would they welcome death:  YES / NO ? - Will they ever find peace:  YES / NO ? 

01.0.  Do they fully stand behind the group they are part of? YES / NO. Why is that? Explain: As one of the founding members of the Gotei Thirteen, Unohana’s loyalty to Yamamoto and resolve to uphold the governing laws have never once wavered.

02.0.  Do they like as things are in Soul Society? YES / NO. 02.1.  Is there anything they would change? Explain here: It’s not until she becomes ‘Retsu’ Unohana, that she truly begins to understand feelings like empathy and compassion, even if feigned at first to fulfill the role she’s taken. While she feels sympathy for those souls subjected to living in Rukongai in poverty, and genuinely wants the legislature of Central 46 to improve the quality of life for the poor outside of Seireitei’s walls, her sense of duty to the Yamamoto and the Gotei, as well as her own responsibility in regards to her personal ‘sin’ outweighs much else. She is capable of recognizing the nuance of morality to some extent, especially as Retsu, she firmly distinguishes right from wrong (her compliance with Rukia’s execution for example, despite recognising it was objectively too severe a punishment), but this code will in most cases come second to upholding Soul Society’s ideals.

- (this next area is tricky because I stand by the fact that there is a LOT of conflict with the image of ‘The Self’ that exists within Unohana, and as such, she falls into the category of both traits in a lot of these- bold is the more dominant of the two, italicized is secondary)

03.0. Would they ever actively try to bring change (in general)? YES / NO. 03.1. Is your muse more: passive / active ?  Introverted / Extroverted ? 03.2. Does your muse care more about: others / themselves ? 03.3. Do they trouble their mind over a lot of problems, others? YES / NO. 03.4. Do they mostly involve: the world / everyone / themselves / comrades / friends / family / elderly / kids / teenagers / home / workplace / strangers / souls / humans / quincy / shinigami / nobles / fullbringer / visored / hollows / espada / arrancar / former bosses / pets / animals / zanpakuto spirit / enemies / partner / lovers / soul king / god / other…(add more) 03.5. Name (up to) three which are the most on their mind (optional, adding names): - Kenpachi Zaraki. The burden of guilt weighing heavy on her shoulders, the promise of the heights he could rise to, should she raise him properly. - Isane Kotetsu. Her tender-hearted, earnest ally in everything; who she trusts to keep her greatest secrets (her greatest shame), the person with whom she entrusts her zanpakuto, who runs to her side when the nightmares are too vivid, who will proudly stand alongside her, and honor her legacy as Retsu. - Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. When monsters still roamed the realms and the balance of souls was in chaos, her strength was once sought out by one such demon in exchange for endless enemies to fight and cut down for him. She has never looked back. - Shutara Senjumaru. They once knew each other when they were nothing more than The Kenpachi and a noblewoman. Feelings, relationships, names, social standing, roles, identity— if everything about a person is subject to change, what is left remaining? Still, the threads connect; pulling, stretching, but never breaking.

04.0. Do they think frequently about politics? YES / NO / SOMETIMES. Why is that? Explain: Her position as a long-standing Captain and founding member of the Gotei Thirteen itself is highly politicized. As stated above, Unohana has a strong sense of objective “right and wrong”, but this always comes second to her duty to Soul Society. Specifically following Aizen’s betrayal given her direct role in partial discovery of his scheme, she gives deeper thinking to the flaws within the Central 46 governing system.

05.0. How do they feel in their current location, more: POSITIVE / NEGATIVE / NEUTRAL ? 05.1. Why is that?: Positive is in response to her death, and Kenpachi absolving her of her sins and guilt over being unable to bestow him her title years earlier. Neutral & Positive also both correlate to her standing and service as the 4th Division Captain, as well as the post-canon AU I’ve given her.

06.0. Does your muse have any goal: YES / NO ?  BIG / SMALL ? 06.1. Does it involve anything world-changing: YES / NO ? (technically ig??) 06.2. If goal or not, any future plans? Share here:  To raise the next Kenpachi and correct her mistake. Though perhaps in itself a small goal, the ramifications on the world are large, and it is a largely character-defining goal for her.

07.0. Does your muse know about the original sin of soul society*: YES / NO / MAYBE ? * curious? Read about it here. 07.1. If they knew, would it change their views on Soul Society: YES / NO ? 07.2. More: POSITIVE / NEGATIVE / NEUTRAL ?

08.0. Who is the worst person in their eyes?: Yhwach , Aizen 08.1. What should happen to them? Execution (quick / slow death) / Imprisonment / Stripped of their powers / Torture / Repay for their sins / Pay a Fine / Social Work / lose their loved ones / Exile / other… (add more). 08.2. Explanation:  I feel like they’re both fairly self explanatory, though extra points to Yhwach for killing Yamamoto because she is Not A Fan

09.0. Thoughts on the Quincy Massacre if they knew: POSITIVE / NEGATIVE / NEUTRAL ? 09.1. Would they be alright with such thing happening again: YES / NO / INDIFFERENT ? 09.2. Would they try to prevent it: YES / NO / DEPENDS ? 09.3. Explanation:  They were a threat to Soul Society and the balance of souls between the realms, one that was eliminated in response to a rebellion they themselves started. Perhaps if circumstances were different (such as, the Mod Soul dump/genocide, where they were innocent), there wouldn’t have been a need for such bloodshed. But as always, everything is done in the name of preserving the balance of souls, regardless of the cost.

10.0. Would they ever switch sides: YES / NO ? 10.1. If yes, What could bring them to do so?:  N/A 10.2. Would they create a new one: YES / NO ?  or join a current one? If so, which:  In my post-canon AU, she “retires” to Rukongai and lives as an herbalist before being recruited by Yoruichi Shihoin to teach at the Shin’o Academy. So in that sense, she joins a current subset of the Soul Society faction with which she was aligned.

11.0. Does your muse follow a certain moral code*?:  YES / NO / GRAY AREA ? (UH... LOL) * (ethics) A written, formal, and consistent set of rules prescribing righteous behavior, accepted by a person or by a group of people. 11.1. What does it involve?: The laws and governing laid out by Central 46, though this is secondary to Yamamoto’s commands. The latter is especially important, given that Yamamoto’s own laws changed drastically over time. 11.2. What does it NOT involve?: This one is subject to the changes laid out above; torture, murder, violence, whatever earns you the title of The Most Bloodthirsty and Violent Criminal In Soul Society’s History.

YOUR MUSE’S VIEWS / OPINIONS ON THESE GROUPS ?

Central 46:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because: they govern the Soul Society, but she follows primarily Yamamoto’s command.

Four Great Noble Clans:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because: She herself has no divisive opinion on the Nobility beyond her disapproval that certain members can buy their way into a high rank within the Gotei. Those positions ought to be earned by strength and skill, not monetary means. That said, due to the Nobility having extensive influence within Soul Society, Unohana has personally served as the attending physician to such distinguished houses, most notably the Kuchiki Household (with regards to Ginrei, Sojun, and Hisana).

Royal Guards / Gotei 13:   positive / negative / neutral .   ━   because: She literally helped to create the Gotei 13, so there is a certain amount of pride in that fact.

Fullbringer:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because:  Other than the actions and fate of one Ginjou Kuugo, she has no true opinion on Fullbringers existing as their own “spiritual race”. 

Visored:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because:  Not positive in the sense that she is perfectly fine with their circumstances, however she explicitly refers to them as her “comrades”, which is an especially interesting note given how other Gotei officers and Captains reacted with suspicion or out right disgust. Unohana has been known to heal enemy and ally alike, however, and likely viewed them as such given their shared history as Gotei officers, as well as already having proven themselves to align their interest with those of Soul Society.

Espada:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because:  As far as fighting beneath Aizen’s command, she disapproves. However, given the post-HM attempt at establishing relations between Hueco Mundo’s de facto ruler and Soul Society, there is a begrudging neutrality between their worlds for the time being. That said, Unohana was not opposed to healing Gantenbainne Mosqueda after arriving in Hueco Mundo, suggesting that she views Arrancar in general with as much autonomy as Humans and Shinigami.

Quincy:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because:  Her prejudice against Quincies comes chiefly from their practice of eliminating souls vs cleansing them, creating an imbalance between the worlds, as well as Yhwach during the original Blood War. Prior to the TYBW, she was fairly neutral, if not perhaps somewhat pitying over their race for having stood and fallen against Soul Society. But she’s a firm believer that the Quincy genocide was a result of their own hubris; angels with wings of wax, etc etc. That said, she gets absolutely zero direct interaction with any Quincies during the TYBW, and I personally think that despite her stronger opinions, she’d be inclined to heal the likes of Bazz-B, Giselle, and Liltotto because they defected from the Wandenreich. It’s a whole nuanced thing.

YOUR MUSE’S VIEWS / OPINIONS ON THESE (IMPORTANT) PEOPLE ?

Aizen:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because:  Treacherous reprobate, etc etc. All the obvious reasons. I don’t think she’d disapprove of Shunsui’s decision to free him though, only because drastic times call for drastic measures. If that weren’t the case, surely she wouldn’t have been pushed to finally teach Kenpachi Zaraki the Art of Killing.

Yhwach:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because:  Other than the obvious stuff, him cutting down Yamamoto was something she reacted to negatively and viscerally so.

Mayuri:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because:  His personality is infuriating, but she does find it hilarious to push his buttons and prod at his ego. She doesn’t agree with some of his crueler methods, but she really doesn’t have room to talk and in the end, it’s for the sake of the Soul Society.

Kurosaki:   positive / negative / neutral.   ━   because:  INCREDIBLE, INSPIRING, SHOW-STOPPING, BRILLIANT. Really fond of the kid, really worried for the kid. She kind of wants to fight him.

Soul King:   positive / negative / neutral. ━   because:  While his origins are dubious and objectively horrific,  his presence is necessary for the sake of the greater world.

CONGRATS, you managed till to the end, now tag your fellow bleach partners!

TAGGED BY: genuinely cant remember. it was prob either tom or hela TAGGING: anyone who hasn’t done this yet, feel free 2 steal!

[oldfritz]

The Psychology of Frederick the Great

Here’s the paper. Putting it under a cut after the first paragraph for convenience

Frederick the Great lived to be a better man than his father, Frederick William I, expected him to be. He did not believe his son capable of leading Prussia onto glory on the battlefield, expanding its borders and more than doubling its population over the course of one war, much less bring it back from the brink of extermination in another. He never thought his son would pass legal and civil reforms that would be admired and adopted by rulers across borders and time. Rather, Frederick William expected his son to destroy everything he’d worked so hard for, dismantling the foundations of the nation he’d built himself and prided himself on. As such, he did everything in his power to form his son into what he wanted out of an heir. This resulted in physical and mental abuse that etched a lasting impact on Frederick’s psyche, so much so that he’d later remark “they have cut deeply into the marble, and that stays for ever [sic].”1 This impact fundamentally shaped Frederick into the antithesis of his father as a ruler, as evident by his policies and actions as king. 

Before this paper can begin to describe the effects his traumatic childhood had on Frederick the Great, it must establish the harrowing ordeal of his young years. Frederick William was a man with quite a temper and a tendency to moodiness. He prided himself on his lack of love for the arts and sciences, embracing the lifestyle of a military man. It would be remarked that he had “little knowledge of anything but the barracks, and knows no other form of social intercourse but giving and obeying orders.”2 Due to his father’s adoption of French ways and lavish spending, Frederick William had a pathological hatred for French culture and wanton spending of money. He detested their mannerisms and foppish ways of dressing, finding them to be effeminate – the worst thing a man could be in his eyes – and self-indulgent. He prided himself on being the most German of the Germans, preferring to speak the native language in his court over any other. His temper was volatile and contradictory. As soon as he would beat his children, he’d apologize for his actions.

Frederick William had high expectations of his son before the child was even born. He expected his heir to be a great general and physically strong, able to beat down any force that came his way. What a tragedy it was for both of them that the young Frederick was born frail and frequently ill. According to his sister, Wilhelmina, the king's hatred for his son was so great that he’d be beaten whenever the king “laid eyes on [Frederick],” creating immense fear in the crown prince.3 The king’s ire for the son that would “steal his crown” only grew as Frederick began to display his more effeminate and intellectual nature as he matured.4 The crown prince embraced French culture and literature of the time. He dressed in the finest French clothes, spoke the language fluently, detested anything remotely German, and was enamored with French philosophes. One of many physically violent events between the two occurred when the king grabbed his sixteen-year-old son’s throat, only separated by horrified servants.5

Events like these characterized Frederick’s childhood and adolescence. Much of the pall surrounding the younger Frederick’s earliest years was due to his father’s unwillingness to understand his son, his uncompromising belief that children are to be seen and not heard, and his conviction that the heir to his throne must maintain the state, not change it. Often, Frederick William remarked that he knew nothing about his son except “he doesn’t like me, and that there are people who plant other ideas in his mind.”6 Indeed, by age eleven the crown prince hated not only his father, but all that he stood for including the coarseness of the king’s company and the senseless slaughter of animals on his many hunts. Likewise, Frederick was assured his father hated him and that the king “wishes always to keep me in an inferior status.”7

Perhaps better communication between the two would have resulted in a more loving relationship, but it’s unlikely due to how fundamentally different each one was in their personalities and ideals; in fact, their only similarity appears to be in their stubbornness. No compromise can be struck between two people who think the other is reprehensible. Frederick William was set in his thinking that an effeminate man was one without any “human inclinations” as was Frederick in his belief that he was being imprisoned by a heartless monster who wanted to see nothing less than his son groveling at his feet, acting like the perfect little soldier-prince.8

These basic differences and various abuses led the crown prince to believe escape was his only option. He begged his uncle, King George I, and emissaries from France for asylum in either of their courts. They refused since they did not wish to start an unnecessary war with Prussia. Feeling cut off from all ends, Frederick made multiple plans to run away. The first two were quickly thwarted before he could even step foot out of Potsdam. The third was the closest the eighteen-year-old crown prince got to success. Frederick quickly prepared by sending his lover, Hans Hermann von Katte, a chest full of their incriminating letters. The plan was for them to meet at The Hague in Holland and Frederick would leave for there from Mannheim. It fell through when a young page, Robert Keith, felt compelled to inform the king of what was happening after hearing a “sermon of hellfire and damnation from the local church.”9 This resulted in the imprisonment of Frederick and Katte in the fortress at Küstrin.

The king, convinced this was an Anglo-French plot against him, ordered the two young men to be interrogated in the prison but grew frustrated by the lack of evidence for the imagined coup. Frederick William was dissatisfied when, in 1730, the courts sentenced Katte to life imprisonment and deemed themselves unfit to judge Frederick. Instead he decided to take matter into his own hands after the justices failed to consult their “consciences and the honor of their king.”10 In his cruelest moment, he sentenced Katte to death by beheading and ensured the guards would force Frederick to watch. This was in order to finally break the crown prince and prepare him for “spiritual redemtption.”11 Frederick William was successful in his goal: Frederick’s personality and demeanor changed from that moment on.

Not only did these events shape who he’d become as a man, but they also formed Frederick as a ruler. While he kept the death penalty as a legal form of punishment, he made sure to use it sparingly. In one letter to Voltaire he bragged about that, on average, “fourteen or fifteen people were sentenced to death” in Prussia.12 It was reserved only for those who’d committed violent and heinous acts like infanticide or homicide.

His unwillingness to use such a strict punishment is understandable considering he saw first-hand the disastrous effects it can have when used indiscriminately or to make a political point. He went so far as to personally interfere a few times where he believed capital punishment would be much too harsh. The prime example is the case of a poacher getting his sentence reduced to six years instead of the death penalty due to it falling under Frederick’s “category of crimes committed by poverty or folly.”13 He also eliminated the death penalty for sodomy, perhaps to save other men in love from the heartbreak of being separated by such a cruel fate.14

More notable is Frederick’s abolition of torture. In 1755, he got rid of it completely, though there is “no evidence that it was used during the preceding decade and a half.”15 In fact, envoys from other countries confirm how much he detested the practice. The English ambassador, Gerlach Adolf von Münchhausen, said torture was “not going to [be] tolerated….in the future.”16 The only crimes it was to be used for were treason and mass-murder. As this paper already establishes, it was rare even in those cases. Frederick claimed it was only to “cut the roots of conspiracy” before recanting that in favor of a principle of saving “a guilty man rather than letting an innocent one perish.”17

He viewed it as a cruel and useless process, a stance that was likely shaped by the events of 1730 and Katte’s imprisonment. Due to lack of evidence, it’s impossible to do more than speculate on whether or not Frederick William ordered his son to be tortured. It is much more likely that Katte faced some form of torture due to a statute created by Frederick William in 1721. For torture to be carried out, there must be “two eyewitnesses or confession for full proof.”It was also allowed to “complete the proof when sufficient circumstantial evidence…established probable cause.”18 As crown prince, Frederick would know Prussian laws. With this knowledge in mind, it’s highly likely this influenced his decision to abolish torture throughout the land, a practice that was seen as radical even in Enlightened Europe.

Frederick prided himself on promoting the arts and sciences to a much higher level than they ever had been in Prussia. He rebuilt the Academy of Sciences back into a respectable institution, making Pierre-Louis de Maupertius the president in 1746. The Academy was broken into four classes: mathematics, speculative philosophy, physics and experimental philosophy, and the polite arts.19 He also implemented a first-class orchestra in the Berlin Opera House that included the likes of C.P.E. Bach on keyboard, J.G. Graun and Franz and Joseph Benda on violin, and Johann Joachim Quanz on flute.20 The Berlin House was described by contemporaries as “a model of its kind [with] enormous entrances, spacious lobbies, rich interior décor with elegantly appointed boxes, perfect acoustics…[and] advanced stage techniques.”21 There was a daily concert in the Schloss at Potsdam from seven to nine at night. Frederick was a close friend and patron of Voltaire, providing the French philosopher with “20,000 thalers for himself and 4000 for his niece.”22 He had five libraries which he was always adding to, building one in Berlin to face the Opera House across the Opernaltz.23

Frederick’s willingness to embrace the arts and sciences so openly was reactionary to the prior court’s emphasis on brawns rather than brains and his own childhood of hiding these interests. Frederick William was quick to violence whenever he caught his son engaging in intellectual pursuits that weren’t on the royal menu. By the time Frederick was six, his father had decided he wouldn’t be exposed to “operas, comedies and other worldly vanities.”24 The king caught his son reading Latin and proceeded to beat the tutor responsible. Dissatisfied by that, he began beating on the young prince, dragging him out from under the table by his hair.25 Frederick William’s hatred of the arts and sciences extended far beyond his behavior to his son. A notable quote of his is that “all learned men are fools.” To prove how much he believed in that, he “despised esoteric studies, scorned all arts, all books, all paintings, and all science, and…humiliated the…. members of the Academy of Sciences.”26 He regarded learned men as threats and sought to ensure his son would not become one. This spurned a sense of intellectual rebellion in Frederick that undoubtedly caused him to embrace the arts and sciences much more than any other ruler for that time did – and would be expected to.

Frederick William did not set out to traumatize his children when he became a parent. While he knew his actions would help shape Frederick as a man and ruler, it’s fair to say he underestimated the extent of his influence. Better foresight on the father’s part and better communication and flexibility by both would have spared Frederick immense trauma from which he’d never recover. Ultimately, the world at large has Frederick William’s draconian actions against his son to thank for creating an enlightened ruler. Frederick said, “In the end I am completely convinced that I shall enjoy no pleasure in his lifetime.”27 He may have found no pleasure in Frederick William’s lifetime or his own, but for Frederick those brutal childhood lessons taught him the man he did not want to be – and forged him into a just and beloved leader.

Notes

Frederick II, Oeuvres, 271.

Droysen, Geschichte, Volume 4.

Wilhelmina, Memoirs.

Asprey, Frederick the Great, 16

British Foreign Officer, 90/24.

Schieder, Friedrich der Grosse, 29.

Asprey, 58.

Frederick II, Allergnädigster Vater, 28-9.

Aprey, 64.

Koser, Kronprinz

Asprey, 70.

Oeuvres, 405.

Bering, Fritz in Full

Asprey, 366.

MacDonogh, Frederick the Great, 140.

Volz, Friederich der Grosse, 96.

Oeuvres, 9.

Langbein, Torture and the Law of Proof, 61.

MacDonogh, 172.

Id., 185-186.

Asprey, 270.

MacDonogh., 211.

Id., 352

Schieder, 21.

Förster, Friedrich Wilhelm I, Volume I.

Asprey, 13.

Allergnädigster Vater, 142.