#greed truly does corrupt

[classics-cassandra]

If I won the lottery I wouldn’t say anything but there would be signs

[shadowuserannie]

The Sentience of the Elementals

As much as MONSTA claims the Elementals aren't alive, it's a popular fandom-wide HC-mainly because if it's not canon, then canon falls apart.

'Retak'ka was corrupted by his power and greed' 'The Voltra power corrupted Kira'na and began to drive her insane' These are canon happenings that directly resulted because of the Elementals' interference.

And sure, it can be argued that they would have been corrupted without the power anyway. But canon points to otherwise-especially when you take into account who holds the Elementals most of the time. Out-of-character things for Boboiboy are in-character for the Elementals, and that points to them being separate people rather than the same person, different clothes.

Yet, at the same time, if the Elementals can truly possess their wielders, then there are some disturbing implications about Retak'ka and Kira'na 'insanity'. Because that hints the powers that Boboiboy uses for good have actually manipulated others into evil.

Hence my current theory on the Elementals' true sentience.

The Elementals are alive, but not completely sentient.

So explanation time-remember Beliung's manic episodes? My current theory is that the Elementals are alive, but alive in the way an animal might be-definitely living, definitely alive, just not really able to think intelligently. Because each time someone has 'lost control', it's been associated with emotions. Kira'na's rage at Retak'ka. Retak'ka's greed. Beliung's manic happiness. Blaze and Ais ran on emotion during their fight on Baraju.

But. This actually changes depending on their host.

Think of it this way-without Boboiboy, the Elementals are just pure, raw elements and emotion. When he is their wielder, they take the form he does-gaining sentience, intelligence, separate personalities and their emotions being better reigned in. However, this is also because Boboiboy recognizes they are alive, and is thus able to subsequently grant them that autonomy and intelligence. Without that recognition, they are just bundles of raw emotion.

Hence why Retak'ka and Kira'na were overtaken.

Gamma didn't mean to overtake Retak'ka. Voltra didn't want Kira'na to attack so many people. But without the recognition of their holders, they are just emotions lashing out without a proper sentience or intelligence to direct them.

So I fixed the theory. This is my personal one yay.

[voidsentprinces]

People wanted Hydaelyn to be evil and the root of all our problems and I feel like Yoshi P and Squad saw that and invented Athena in response. An ancient "mother" who uses her knowledge and sacrifices all those who love and adore her to attain godhood, who actually does manipulate those who trust her to attain her goals, who does die to further her own goals instead of the goal of others. And wants full control of the lifestream and all the souls in it and will temper her son and take over his body to use as a vessel to further her own goals. She will twist others ambition to be recognized or whose actions are seemingly honorable and force them to do the opposite of what they truly want. Because, why not? Who else is more worthy of her to be a Goddess than she? And last but not least, Flow's lyrics are all about Venat and Hydaelyn finally meeting us and singing our praises for her "brave little spark" while One of the Weary and Athena the Tireless One's Lyrics are all about how we were so easily to manipulate and clearly as a fragment of ancients, made in HER image alone and while Venat's entire decision leaned on us using dynamis to combat Meteion, Athena's lyrics reflect seeing us as lacking the aetheric overflow of her colleagues as weak and how with the dawn of a new era our time has come and it isn't the sun rise of the dawn but the setting sun. The Twelve will not answer you, Hydaelyn and Zodiark are gone, and the Primals are faux gods. So scream all you like as she puppets your every move, your GOD cannot hear you. You poor thing, your pride and greed are corrupting you. You don't know what the future would hold, just lay down and accept her complete control only she can guide you through it. Believe in her and her alone. Hear, Feel and Think only of Athena. And she will guide you where you need.

Or in short:

Dark horizons, Boiling seas From the borders chaos bleeds Savage nobles, cultured thieves Here be lions follow me.

[where-dreams-dwell]

Roderick Usher is such a good bait and switch of a villain! You spend most of the show watching his ‘downfall’ and corruption, knowing that he’s going to become the monster Dupin knows him as. But you still want to believe he can’t be all that bad, and he somehow knows this and plays right into it until the very end

Roderick is telling his story and peppers it with all these asides and moments that make the audience feel some sympathy for him. That make us believe he either has good intentions beneath everything else, or originally had them and was corrupted by power.

He implies he truly didn’t know Ligodone was addictive: he tells Dupin ‘you belive the chemist when he you tells you the drug they made isn’t addictive, you trust your company not to abuse the use of that drug’. He reminds Dupin (and by extension the audience) that he ‘didn’t make the damn thing, I just sold it’. And then it cuts to show that the drug company was originally acquired by Roderick’s predecessor as CEO, who took his pitch for a pain free world and ran with it. This makes the audience feel some small sympathy for Roderick: not enough to think he’s a victim in anyway but it worms in there and makes him not as monstrous as he was a moment ago. It implies he is not solely to blame.

The audience see’s (we think) Roderick getting corrupted and swayed to the dark side of corporate greed. Brilliantly they show Roderick in present day acting in ways that seem in character for what we have learnt about him, and then flash back to the 70’s to reveal that those lines or attitudes where originally those of the old CEO who Roderick *hated*. It appears as if pure innocent and trusting Roderick who runs straight at injustice has been corrupted by the old CEO, has become the monster or villain that he once hated. It’s a small tragedy mixed in with a busy narrative but it impacts the audiences view of who Roderick once was. We interpret this as an originally good if naive man corrupted by power and wealth. Coupled with all those scenes in the 70’s of Madeline being more emotionless and pragmatic, pushing Roderick to be more manipulative and strategic, it appears as if he has been ‘forced’ or ‘groomed’ into his role against his original intentions. Part of the scenes we then spent in the 70’s is spent quietly mourning this version of Roderick, as we know it doesn’t survive his ascension.

But there are enough moments to imply that Roderick is still being an unreliable narrator. When Dupin first apologised for faking an informant, saying he feels that his lie had some role in the death of his children, Roderick’s first response is to run with that false impression. The way he responds to Dupin’s apology sounds like he’s gearing up to lay into him about his role in Roderick a children’s death, to double down and agree that Dupin does bear some blame for how they died.

And then one of his dead children appear to him. They make him pause, collect himself, and acknowledge what Roderik knows to be true: Dupin’s lie had no bearing on their death (his deal with Verna is the reason they’re dead) and any impact of that lie on their final fate is solely due to Roderick believing it and then placing a bounty on the supposed informants head. He turned his kids against one another, Dupin’s lie was just the vehicle. Roderik only voices this when he is forced to by his literal ghosts.

There are several moments when it appears his dead children are ‘keeping him honest’. When he’s getting off topic Perry or Leo appear to shock him and remind him to keep telling their stories. When he tries to downplay his part in the creation of Ligodone and argue that the horrors of its addiction are actually due to a street derivative which ‘hasn’t been FDA approved’ Camille’s appears behind him to force him to reconsider and eventually interrupts him so abruptly he trows a glass at her. When he’s lamenting Frederiks death and remembering him as a child not an adult (the last time Roderick was any kind of father to him) Fredrick takes over child/Frederick’s body to remind him of how he died and to get back to the story. It’s almost like he’s saying ‘you don’t get to remember me like this, you don’t get to miss remember and pick and chose: this is how I died and it’s because of you so keep going’. It’s only in hindsight so we realise this was Roderick trying to subconsciously control the narrative and change this confession, to reframe his actions and those deaths. And the kids didn’t let him get away with it.

Even Juno as a narrative device helps to hide Roderik’s rotten centre: she is such a bluntly honest and sincere person, she lends a little credence of honesty to Roderick. We think he must have some small good in him (albeit wrapped up in all the ‘old enough to be Juno’s father, makes the opioid she’s addicted to, doesn’t defend her from family cruelty’ BS of his ‘love’) as she is devoted to and loves him. Plus when we first meet her he states he loves her, he is always shown to be gently affectionate towards her, and even claims she is one of his ‘two favourite ladies’ along with his granddaughter who we know he dotes upon. But then at the very end his twisted horror show of devotion is revealed: anything close to love he holds for Juno is warped by her being a living totem of his product, something he can point to and use to further his cause. Juno is an object to him, one he enjoys complete control over. He has never seen her as a person in her own right, just a doll/puppet to prop up his drug empire, and he can’t separate her or his feelings for her from the drug she is dependant upon.

Added to this, towards the end of the show we discover that this ‘unburdening’ of Roderiks sins, this confession to a litany of crimes, which will give Dupin closure for both his life’s work and answers to Roderick’s betrayal of him in the 70’s… that isn’t even Roderick’s idea! Verna told him to confess. Even at the end Roderick isn’t mending bridges of his own volition.

And then his final revelation: he’s been lying the whole time, maybe his whole life, to everyone. He had always know people would die to ensure his success, that he would have to climb over ‘a mountain of bodies’ to get to the top and it never once made him pause. He wasn’t corrupted, he didn’t get poisoned by the old CEO and his views, he didn’t change to take on more of Madeleine’s views. He just noticed the best way to get work done and adapted.

Dupin had it right from the start: the only good that he ever saw in Roderik was a reflection of Annabelle lee’s. Like the moon has no inherent light of its own, Roderik hid his darkness behind the strength of Annabelle’s goodness until the time came when she couldn’t shine on him anymore. And he was revealed for the empty dead husk he had always been.

And Annabelle even said it herself, when then kids chose Roderick over her. They were starving and he told them to gorge themselves but he could never actually feed them, because he had nothing real to offer. Empty through and through, and just. So. Small.

[mimble-sparklepudding]

Symbolism of Metals OC Questions.

A little list of OC questions based on the symbolism of various metals throughout history. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all symbolic meanings, but rather just a small selection for entertainment, rather than educational, purposes.

Iron - Inner Power, Rage and Primal Urges.

Has your OC ever regretted something they have said or done in anger? Perhaps this has happened more than once?

Has your OC mellowed as they have got older? Or are they just as quick to anger, or as easily irritated, as they ever were?

Upon what does your OC draw to get them through situations of great adversity? Their sense of purpose? The thought of their loved ones? Sheer overwhelming rage? Or perhaps something else entirely?

Does your OC struggle to contain their baser emotions, such as lust, aggression or greed? What helps to keep these feelings in check (if anything actually does)?

Are others ever surprised by your OC's steely resolve or ability to endure hardship? Or are they generally regarded as someone with great inner reserves of willpower?

Gold - Wisdom, Wealth and Nobility.

If your OC was called upon to arbitrate between the nobility (or an equivalent social elite) and the common people, on which side of the table would they be sitting during negotiations?

Do those that know your OC consider them to be wise? Is this quality seen as distinct from intellectulism or book-learning in their case? Or do they posess both academic knowledge and the wisdom of experience?

Does your OC struggle to believe anyone is truly smart unless they are also rich?

Does your OC hold that some social groups have an inherent nobility unavailable to others? Do they perhaps believe in the idea of a "ruling class", with qualities that the lower orders could never hope to evince? Or, conversely, do they believe in the unsullied nobility of the poor, in contrast to the decadent and corrupt upper classes?

If your OC could pass on a piece of wisdom to others starting out on a similar path to their own, what would it be and where does it come from?

Lead - Sin, Death, Transformation and Toxicity.

Which experience of loss or bereavement has most affected your OC?

What is your OC's most anti-social trait? Do they acknowledge it as such? Are they even aware of it themselves?

Which sin is your OC most likely to be accused of by others? Would this be fair criticism? Or are their actions often somewhat misunderstood?

What has been the most transformative experience your OC has been through? Was it an experience of loss? The first time they ever felt loved? A traumatic or violent event? Or something else entirely?

How does your OC believe they will die? Peacefully in bed surrounded by friends and family? Or alone in the wilderness? Or fighting against overwhelming odds? Or perhaps they have a different notion altogether?

Silver - Intuition, Honesty and Wisdom.

Does your OC ever base their decisions on a "gut feeling"? Or do they always weigh up the pros and cons carefully and dispassionately?

How tactful is your OC? Are they able to frame criticism constructively and give feedback in a way that protects against potential hurt feelings? Or are they blunt, or even callous, in their attitude to the failings of others?

Does your OC believe they can assess someone's character upon first meeting them? Or are they inclined to give everyone the benefit of the doubt until they get to know them better? Or even to assume the absolute worst of people until it is conclusively proved that they are not an enemy?

Does your OC ever deliberately make themselves appear less wise or astute than they actually are? Perhaps in order to ensure that others underestimate them?

What is something that your OC would find incredibly hard to lie about? Even if they really wanted to do so...

Copper - Love, Beauty and Creativity.

Does your OC believe that they are beautiful? Is their beauty, or lack of beauty, something to which they ever give much consideration?

Does your OC enjoy creating things? Are they particularly artistic? Or do they prefer to focus upon creating things with a practical use?

Was your OC loved as a child? What difference has the experience of love and nuture during their early years made to their character as an adult?

Of all the places your OC has seen, which do they consider the most beautiful?

If your OC were to be immortalised in art, what would be their preferred medium? An epic poem? An exquisite statue? A flattering painting? Or something else entirely?

Tin - Life, Breath and Flexibility.

How quick is your OC to adjust to changing circumstances? Are they more likely to keep going with an existing approach or strategy, even though the situation has changed?

Does your OC work well with others? Even if their approach or attitude is markedly different to their own?

Does your OC believe that all life is sacred on some level? Or are some types of person more valuable than others? Can someone's deeds ever make them deserving of death? Or would your OC never consider that an appropriate sanction, no matter the circumstances?

What does your OC believe makes life worth living? Assuming that they do, in fact, believe that it is?

Has your OC's life turned out how they were expecting when they first began their journey? How well have they adjusted to any differences in this regard?

[redr0sewrites]

I’m not sure if you take Helluva Boss requests, I know you take Hazbin hotel ones (I LOVE your Hazbin content, your writing is so ✨), if you do, could you make some Yandere Mammon headcanons? Tysm and I hope you have a wonderful day!

IVE NEVER WRITTEN FOR MAMMON NOR ANY YANDERE CHARACTERS BEFORE SO THIS WAS DEF A CHALLENGE, HOPE U ENJOY!!!

🥀Cw: yandere behavior, possessiveness, bribing, overall toxicity

mammon is the literal embodiment of greed and selfishness, and once he sets his sights on you, mammon wants you all to himself

hes the type to start off charming, sickeningly so, until his behavior slowly begins to become more corrupted and controlling

hes all about spoiling you, but not in a good way, he wants you to feel indebted to him

at first you marvel at all of the lavish gifts he gives you, but over time they become suffocating

he pretty much ignores your boundaries, mammon genuinely thinks he knows whats best for you

mammon does not take no for an answer, he pushes and pushes and pushes at your boundaries but turns around and makes you look crazy for snapping at such a silly thing! why would you ever get mad at him, especially when he spoils you rotten and treats you so well? (manipulation level 100)

absolutely the jealous type, at first he plays it off that he just "doesn't want to lose you" or "is worried about your wellbeing", but soon hes restricting you from your friends and family, making himself the sole focus of your attention

mammon highkey gets pissy when you aren't paying attention to him, and will try to coax you into paying more attention either through bribes or being ridiculously needy all of a sudden

he wants you to be his and only his at any given moment, and will even get mad or jealous of inanimate objects that hold your attention

he'd confiscate your phone or any social media you may have, he just can't have his precious jewel looking at other people, can he?

the more you begin to wither away and crumble under his control, the more overzealous he becomes

mammon can't understand why you aren't happy, how could you be so ungrateful? in his twisted mind, you're the one who doesn't deserve HIM

he'll make sexist, disgusting comments around you and will mock your discomfort. at first you think hes joking until you realize, no, hes quite serious

regardless of gender, mammon wants you to be his little house pet, always at his beck and call with dinner on the table and a pretty little outfit on

tears? anger? no, he can't have that. in fact, he'll try to pay you to shut up! mammon will give you gifts in the hope of getting you to quiet down, but its no use. no matter how fed up you get, he never listens. he might as well just lock you in your room if you aren't going to stop talking.... so, he does

if you ever try to leave him, be prepared for one hell of a break down

mammon will pull every abusive trick in the book- from gaslighting, to fake tears, to anger and outrage, he is desperate for you to stay, even if only to watch you crumble even more

if you ever manage to "leave", know that you probably won't be truly alone for at least a while. mammon has eyes everywhere, and for as long as he's concerned, youre his and his alone

hes def a perv too, but those r hcs for another time😇

HELPP IVE NEVER WRITTEN ANY YANDERE CONTENT BEFORE SO IM SORRY IF THIS IS ASS- IVE ALSO NEVER WRITTEN FOR MAMMON SO I HOPE I DID HIM JUSTICE HES SUCH A SHITHEAD (affectionate <3) i might make a nsfw pt 2 if anyone wants me too- anyways hope yall enjoyed!!!

[wolfofcelestia]

oh, i didn’t really think about that. but yeah judging by what we know from the main story, sylus seems well liked by people who know him.

the mechanic he takes MC to talks about how sylus is often scapegoated, and implies sylus is a much kinder man than the impression he gives

the fact that the defected branch of onichynus created unnecessary casualties and bombed civilian areas show that some of the criminals within the organisation didn’t agree with sylus’s management style, which suggests they just didn’t like how he sort of played by a code of honour and wasn’t actually greedy for more power. like they think he’s not doing enough to “dominate” the city.

sylus’s biggest asset is mephisto—who he uses to watch over the N109 zone like a protector. he’s just sort of in the shadows watching over everyone, making sure things are going smoothly while keeping an eye on the EVER group

which reminds me, i think he watches over MC for the same reason. like ofc that’s his soulmate he’s been searching for through space and time but i think he also does it because MC’s life truly is at risk and he keeps tabs to make sure she isn’t exploited or taken as a test subject like tobias was.

we’ve only ever seen sylus kill corrupt people. so he clearly is an antihero with a moral code. he killed the EVER guy to send a message because these people are literally enslaving and abducting innocent people (including the almost extinct lemurians) and doing experiments on them to prolong their lifespans. sylus has seen firsthand what happened to the twins and i’m sure he’s seen even worse. the other guy he kills was a defected member of onichynus who was double-crossing him and was using the onichynus name to bomb civilian areas. i don’t think he killed the man because of betrayal, but rather because he was a threat to innocent lives and was absolutely shameless about it. like you said, he’s not a cop so he takes justice into his own hands. very antihero behaviour.

sylus also repeatedly has said he doesn’t like picking on the weak. in his anecdote he frees the captive beasts and returns the treasures back to their rightful owners after killing a tyrannical overlord.

you’re definitely right. he’s not only distrusting of the law, he’s been burnt by the law system. he’s been treated unfairly and he knows the real criminals are the people in power (like the story he mentioned in Lost Oasis of the seven gods that were beheaded for being capricious and exploiting their followers). every aspect of his story is so heavily connected to corruption in power, greed, and exploitation of the weak by individuals and organisations who want to “play god”. and he’s at odds with such people because these people are the kind who wiped out his entire species in a genocide, trapped him in an abyss for centuries, are directly related to the EVER group who successfully managed to prolong human life and move to philos, etc etc.

i’d love more anecdotes on sylus and his life and yes! more companions. i’m almost entirely sure that he was imprisoned in the space-time prison for going against some corrupt person in power, or he was scapegoated.

Yeah, we don't actually know the reason why he was in that top security prison huh? I wouldn't be surprised if it was Ever behind it all, either using him as a scapegoat or sentencing him harsher than normal. Even in one of the first glimpses we saw of Sylus, when he deliberately walked past the flower struggling to grow in an unnatural environment, it was clear that he isn't one to hurt or destroy anyone/anything that didn't warrant it

Even though we have his myth, we still don't know much about him in the present timeline. They really need to step up with giving us his lore before he gets overshadowed by Caleb entering the game

He was definitely keeping tabs on MC to keep her safe. We know a lot of people are after her aether core, but I also like to imagine him letting her do her own thing to see how brazen and strong she can get without him. If she had failed to become a hunter, I feel like he would step in sooner when she began investigating her past. And I feel like he would train her himself so that she could protect herself from people tracking her down and so she could come along to some of his "deals"

[snaggemon]

"Nightfall Over Lidellia City"

Two years ago…

“Glorious… Simply glorious! Oh, yeeaahhhh!”

Their voice carries over the sound of the blimp’s motors and the gushing wind blasting through the open hatches. At twelve hundred feet above the ground, it’s hard to tell whether the air is thin or if my lungs are being crushed by the gripping sensations of anxiety and frustration. You’d think that after ten years of chasing these mad Honchos and their Grunts, this wouldn’t affect me so palpably. But when it comes to St. Atticus… You never know what to expect.

“You never cease to amaze me, Champion… You truly are magnificent! Hahahahaha!”

St. Atticus grins at me from across the chamber, their pristine black hair flowing like a banner on a battlefield in the crossbreeze under the rim of their silver-trimmed, mottled black top hat. The air throws the corners of their long, midnight blue coat around the legs of their perfectly tailored pants. Every strip of silver ribbon, golden sequin and sapphire blue jewel on their body shimmers and twinkles as light fills the chamber, blasted in from searchlights on the ground, the rooftops, the helicopters circling the stolen airship. They step back and bask in the hot glow of the searchlights, throwing their gloved hands up like the ringmaster of the world’s craziest circus.

“No…! We are magnificent! The sounds, the sparks, the star power! Don’t you feel it?!”

This is exactly what they want. Even as they stand in front of me, defeated yet again, all St. Atticus is thinking about is how good they look doing it. And… Goddamnit, they look good. It’s almost sickening how well they take losing in their stride. The spectacle is all that matters. But as far as I’m concerned… all that matters is they’re beaten, and they have no more SnaggeMon left.

Their staff lays safely at my feet, the microphone built into the head ringing with feedback from being dropped. Inlaid into the body of the stick, fourteen inactive SnagStones glow red with warning… Fourteen SnaggeMon, a new record. They really were planning something truly horrible this time. But as dangerous as St. Atticus is when they have the stage all to themselves, as soon as you get within battling distance, all the bite gets ripped from their bark.

Out the corner of my eye, I look down upon Lidellia City. In the dark of nightfall, the chaos St. Atticus and their showboating Grunts have spread throughout the city tonight glows even brighter. Several buildings are barely left standing, and wide craters stand out in the middle of destroyed roads and former landmarks. And that’s just what St. Atticus did on their own, all part of their somber, striking, symphonic power ballad. If they even still had one of their SnaggeMon left by the time they reached the Concert Hall… they would have wiped it off the map.

“You see it, don’t you?” St. Atticus boasts. “The righteous chaos, the dazzling destruction! Is it as beautiful as I planned…? Does it finally illuminate the stage out from the shadow of the greed and corruption that built this city?” They sway, starting to twirl their body around like they’re in a one-person waltz. Part of me worries they’re about to throw themselves off the airship… “All that’s left… is the jewel in Lidellia City’s sordid crown… The Concert Hall!”

“Show’s over, St. Atticus,” I say, finally deciding to get a word in edgewise. “You’ve got no SnaggeMon left. You can either take your last bow with dignity, or wait for the League to board this giant eyesore and give you the hook.”

“Oh, nightfall…” St. Atticus says, shaking their head with an earnest, infectious chuckle. “As long as one star remains bright in the sky… The darkness will never truly engulf me.”

Suddenly, St. Atticus throws themselves towards me, towards their microphone. That’s when I see it: one last SnagStone in the base of their staff! My heart races, already picturing the chaos that even one more SnaggeMon would enable them to inflict! I kick the staff backwards, and it shrieks with static as it bashes against the back door. Owwww…!

St. Atticus collapses on the ground, their black gloved hands balled into fists at my feet. Their breath is running fast, and I can hear the power of their lungs from here, even in just the wispy sounds of their breathing… They reach out to touch my leg and raise their head to look up at me. I get a full view at my reflection in the lenses of their massive, blacked-out sunglasses. Some say that if you ever look St. Atticus in the eye, you’ll fall under their spell like the rest of Team Glameur… I think they started their rumor themselves, all part of their mystique.

But even more haunting is their smile. It’s so gorgeous, yet so haunting. How can they be so happy and full of life when their grand plan crumbles at their feet yet again?

“Tut-tut…” they laugh. “That wasn’t fair, Champion. The star belongs on their stage.”

“Is that really all you have to say?” I scoff. “You’ll be locked away for this disaster! People could be dead down there! You better have a damn good final line to exit on…”

“You… will outshine us all…!” St. Atticus promises me, reaching into their sleeve. What are they reaching for…? …Oh, shit! They’ve got a detonator! I have to grab it before they--

BOOOOM!

I’m thrown to the side as the starboard wing bursts into flames. I land painfully against the wall, right next to the open hatch, and see the fire spreading across the airship. And in front of me… St. Atticus glides through the air, laughing like a maniac as they soar towards the hatch! With one arm wrapped around the nearest solid fixture I can reach on the wall, I reach out and catch them by the collar before they’re thrown from the blimp and into the sky!

The world turns upside down… The blast is sending us careening away from Lidellia City, towards the harbor! And St. Atticus is still cackling as we hurtle towards the ground! We’re on a collision course…! If I can just reach Kinerret’s SnagRing…! But what I can’t…?! What if this is how I go down, crashing into a flaming tomb with perhaps the most dangerous person in the world?! Is this really how it ends…?! Don’t I even get a chance to say goodbye…?

…

I’m sorry… If you were here, this would never have happened… Goodbye… Bram…

---------------------------------------------

'SnaggeMon! - Giving Up My Champion Rank To Date The Bad Guys!'

Chapter 8 coming soon to the official SnaggeMon Discord server!

[toastandjamie]

Hey so I wanna talk about the two distinct types of evil present in WoT, the Dark one and Shadar Logoth.

These evils are similar in that they amplify negative emotions to the point that they boil over into cruelty and violence, where they differ however is that the emotions that draw people to them are born from different places, the dark one being an internal force where as Shadar Logoth relies on external forces.

The dark one is very classic satan allegory where the emotions he preys upon are the seven deadly sins. Greed, envy, lust, pride. The people who seek out the dark one and become dark friends usually feel like they are entitled to something that they aren’t receiving, whether that’s power, money, attention, knowledge- the dark one in turn offers them a way to achieve these goals they feel they deserve but evil is a corruptive force and eventually these feelings of envy and greed grow to the point where they no longer care about who gets hurt in the process of attaining their perceived just reward. The core of the Dark Ones evil is selfishness.

Shadar Logoth by contrast is a more “sympathetic” evil, born of feelings of anxiety and fear. Shadar Logoth was born from the people of Aridhol’s fears of the Trolloks and dark friends and as that paranoia grew they lashed out inwards and destroyed themselves. The evil of Shadar Logoth doesn’t make you violent or angry, the irritability and violence we associate it with are just side affects of the long lasting stress the evil does amplify. The core of Shadar Logoths evil is distrust.

These two types of evil while they do claim to despise eachother are not mutually exclusive however as we see Padan Faine seamlessly blend his greed and pride with Mordreth’s anxiety and fear, which feed on eachother until it developed into what we see him become where he’s callous and cruel, and specifically in the way he targets Rand, he “hates” Rand because of the anxiety that was born of failing the dark one and being tortured was amplified and mixed with his already present contempt and feelings of superiority.

However we see the flaws in the evil in the characters that manage to break out of the cycles of violence that they both feed on.

Verin, though she doesn’t go in with the intention of joining the dark went in with the selfish motivation of seeking out knowledge not for the good of the world but out of curiosity and boredom. She breaks away from the corruptive evil by her selfless act of sacrificing herself to bring to light the knowledge of the black ajah to the Tower.

Mat, is an interesting case because the corruptive nature of Shadar Logoth is more obvious. We see his fear amplified and it might be easy to say that the only reason he was freed from the evil was outside intervention and while that was what finished the job of cutting out the rot we also learn that he held up surprisingly well against the daggers corruption. He was able to last as long as he did because he was willing to be vulnerable and trust Rand. He was able to suppress many of the violent urges his fear created by sheer force of will because of the fact that he knew that he COULD trust someone which is antithetical to the evil of shadar logoth.

The two evils can survive on their own but they truly thrive in tandem and that was what made Faine so powerful that both the light and dark feared him. Because he exemplified all the worst parts of humanity all the fear, distrust, greed, envy and hate all personified into one being. The one thing however the destroys them both is in the most cliche of senses love, it is trust and kindness and selflessness that both evils can not defend against.

[wxnheart]

𝙰𝚙𝚎𝚡 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛 - 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝/𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 (𝟐/𝟑)

Your shoes and clothes are stained red with the blood of the fallen, all who fought valiantly in the name of the Imperium; so-called sons, expendable, pathetic, weak. Failures. Would they have had but a tenth of the talent of his brothers and sisters. Would they have had but a tenth of your courage. It was a futile effort but still, you stand strong in the face of his fearsome rage, one he had so desperately wished to quell. It was a rage that would be your undoing. It was a rage borne from your rejection. You dare say no to him? AGAIN?! In favor of that tyrant you call the Emperor?! You will know true strength... and you will die in its embrace.

Angron

It seems there is no end to the corruption, greed, and ineptitude that plagues the Imperium. Once he could look at it proudly but now... what a shell of its former glory. The loneliness and emptiness plague him, battling side by side with duty. He would rather it and everything it represented burned in the fires of Horus' ambition but dutybound he was and dutybound he would remain. He sees in you the idealism of ten millennia past, something that beloved Konor would've commended. He sees in you a kindred spirit, and he is lonely. Oh, how he's so lonely. But dutybound he is. And dutybound he will remain. And so, too, will you. Right by his side.

Roboute Guilliman

And with his father's parting words has an illustrious age ended, leaving his foundation shaken. Vengeful. The bitter bile rises in his throat. He would have said more, would have demonstrated the depths of his ardor. Perhaps things would be different, perhaps the bitterness wouldn't have consumed him so. But they aren't, and it does. Many things have been lost to him. It cannot be you, too. And most certainly not to him. He prepares to fight to the death. His foundation—your salvation—will be restored.

Rogal Dorn

He was a believer once. Of his Father, an ideal he strove to impart to the masses, he was a believer once. Words adorned with praise, extolling the virtues of Man and he was to be His messenger, oh, how he was a believer once. And even then, to the moment his greatest glory died a fiery death before him did he he believe, truly believe in the Father. And now in fire and brimstone does the Son pay for sins of the Father, sins that taste like brokenness, foolishness, and reverence against your lips. He believes again. In you. And so begins the fall of Man.

Lorgar Aurelian

You are important to his brother. This he knows unequivocally. To have the upper hand in a time of such upheaval and witness the Praetorian fall at last? Glorious. Finally, he would be vindicated. Much has been taken from him; much has been owed to him, and finally—FINALLY—he would have something to call his own and rightfully claim the spoils of war: you. And if he could not have you, Dorn most certainly couldn't, either.

Perturabo

It is said that only in death does duty end, but yours is everlasting. For a thousand lifetimes, He has loved and for a thousand more lifetimes He loves still. You have felt the weight of each and every one of them, and no matter how many times you've run, there He was to find and love you still. Shackled. You have become shackled to Him, an ornate chain that no matter how hard you pull cannot be broken. No matter the circumstances, it remains intact. It is said that only in death does duty end, but yours is everlasting. And when He spoke his last and transcended, with you made to go with him, did you realize that your duty had truly just begun. And even in death would He love you still.

The Emperor of Mankind

[goetiae]

Interactions and interconnections between Ciel and Sebastian become truly fascinating when one analyzes these two as eternally connected in an everlasting cycle of effect they have on one another. It becomes increasingly obvious how they are meant to be the focal points of each other's lives because of the growth each go through while being affected by one another. It's incomparable to any other case of character development within the manga.

Ciel begins as someone nearly predisposed to evil, as per Yana's commentary about his father being the reason Ciel is such an "evil" child. He grows even more corrupted within that evilness once he is exposed to Sebastian, a creature of the dark who resolves matters through violence and knows no compassion to human lives.

Sebastian begins as someone who treats mortals around him with a lot of distaste as he is convinced humans are selfish, greedy beings that would step over each other to get what they want. Although, he is not unaware of the metamorphosis that he is about to go through after meeting his peculiar Master.

Having been betrayed by other humans in a multitude of ways, Ciel does not possess the best view on humanity. Sebastian, too, has witnessed the greed and neediness of mortals who he worked with, and thus now finds most humans despicable. Throughout the story, these views are challenged, starting with Ciel's.

Ciel, initially established as withdrawn and apathetic, changes with every new person he meets. His breakdown in the end of the Circus Arc exposes Sebastian to the degree of his trauma, showing him that Ciel believes it's better to be dead than to lead the life he had to endure. His treatment of Sieglinde, who is as much a helpless victim of circumstance as Ciel was, shows a very complicated idea of care that Ciel possesses: he threatens Sieglinde's life and offers her to pick between death and escape, so she can make a good choice and avoid his fate. Ciel is not yet capable of true, vulnerable, open care for others, but he's slowly melting his ice walls away.

Soma and Agni seem to display genuine care for Ciel's wellbeing despite not being obligated to show said care in any way, to which Ciel reacts with avoidance and further establishment of very strict boundaries. Often, we see him being rude to his newly found friends, without a particular reasoning to be so. When Agni dies, what seems to be true intentions of Ciel's avoidant personality seem to come forth: he pushed them away before they could get entangled within his business and, like many others in his life, pay for it. Ciel's care seems a tad more prominent within his treatment of the servants: the story slowly uncovers that he offers them gifts and assistance through Sebastian, such as allowing them to learn how to read or buying them clothes. One could say that Finnian's repeatedly changing clothing is for the convenience of the artist, but it's fair to propose that it was drawn on purpose, too.

Ciel's silent care for the wellbeing of others, especially those in similar circumstances to him and overall disadvantaged children, goes hand in hand with his ingrained violence and harshness. It is possible that it is a traumatic response after everything he has been through. However, we know from Yana's own words that Ciel's upbringing by Sebastian made him a more sadistic individual. What is most fascinating about this is that Sebastian seemed to have gone through an opposite transformation.

Sebastian's gradual exposure to human emotion is undeniable in the manga. As a protagonist of the series who starts off unconvinced that humanity can be good, he encounters consistent examples of the opposite. Agni becomes the most influential person in his life: he gains Sebastian's respect, shows him an example of selfless behavior unseen in mortals the demon interacted with, and proceeds to show him kindness through calling him a friend. After such a formative companionship, Sebastian, now with the weight of new experience, watches Ciel deny incoming human care, having learned from the cruel, heartless butler of his.

Throughout the story, Sebastian witnesses many people that challenge his view on humanity: he encounters mortals that are not the selfish, greedy creatures he is used to. Then, he slowly starts to see Ciel through a caring lens, too. He will never be his father, nor treat him as one, but he discovers empathy within himself that slowly makes its way into his treatment of his Lord. Offering more physical contact outside of necessary, having unnecessarily high concern for Ciel's wellbeing over minor injuries, and Sebastian's growing protectiveness all show that he views him with increased sympathy, as a traumatized boy rather than just a contractee. It is worth mentioning that Ciel, while cared for, does not stop being Sebastian's meal - it is possible that the more Sebastian cares for him, the more prominent the predator-prey nature of their relationship becomes. A caring beast and an adored victim are such an utterly unique combination of character types.

To draw this to a conclusion, Ciel and Sebastian develop in ways that neither seem to be initially ready for: Ciel obtains care for others whereas Sebastian gains care for Ciel. At the same time, Ciel becomes further corrupted by Sebastian and grows deeper into his maladaptive ways of handling his trauma; the latter playing only a partial role in his gradual increase of sadistic tendencies. Sebastian, in his turn, has his worldview challenged because he discovers he cares for his food, for once. He also irreversibly affects Ciel's perception of reality as he practically raised him without being paternal to him. He was the closest to a social example for the young Lord. Now, Sebastian has acquired emotions but hasn't lost the desire to ultimately consume Ciel; he affected Ciel through the formative years of their relationship, but now came to a point where he actually cares about his food, much unlike his initial demeanor displayed. Ciel, in his turn, has grown to care for those close to him, yet he lacks the social skills and emotional intelligence needed to handle such intricate emotions, which only furthers the damage done by his trauma - all because he was raised by a now slightly empathetic demon.

We are yet to see how the two are to handle the newly blooming emotions they discovered. It's undeniable that Ciel grew to care about Sebastian, too. And with that, it would be fair to state, lastly, that their intricate mutual effect on each other is fascinating to witness.

[quietbrushstrokes]

I present to you: My babies! This is an alternate universe in which instead of narinder being the one who waits, It’s leshy !

Leshy is the bishop of chaos. With a name like The Bishop of Chaos you’d think he’d cause some, no? Well, In this universe, he does.

He causes so much, in fact, that his siblings chain him up in purgatory. Narinder had proposed death as a solution, but Shamura shut his idea down fast.

‘How could we kill our own brother?’

Wrong choice, Shamura.

Or maybe, right choice?

Now, employing the help of the last llama, he intends to regain control of not only dark wood, but every other realm. While causing a little chaos, ofcource.

(Yes I know the llama has the crown and weapon out, it was for aesthetic reasons dammit)

More beyond the break If you want more details on the au ⬇️

Our llama, now tasked with assassinating all of the bishops, decides this path is not for her. She doesn’t want to kill them. But She doesn’t want to be killed either. She starts her cult. Through old tombs etched into stone in each bishop’s domain, She learns the past of the bishops. Each bishop was born for good, Narinder the bishop of life, Heket the bishop of harvest, Kalamar the bishop of health, Shamura the bishop of peace. Each one turning to evil. Narinder the bishop of death, Heket the bishop of famine, Kalamar the bishop of Pestulance, Shamura the bishop of war.

Leshy’s tomb is etched out, and unreadable, but there are fragments of words. Chaos and order being the only readable words.

She knew what she had to do.

She meets with ???, the mystic seller, who informs her that to reform a bishop, you need god tears, but they must be defeated first. And be willing.

One by one, she takes down the bishops, and invites them to stay at her cult. Each one declines, so she locks them in a small area of their domain. She visits daily, bringing food, water, and kind words. The bishops slowly warm up to her, and each one begins to slowly feel indifference to their old ways. She soon gets her hand on god tears, and begins reforming the bishops. One by one, she restores peace. Until Leshy. As the bishop of chaos, he has no want for order, for kindness. He was also betrayed by the llama, who used their own crown against him.

Durning this time, She finds out what’s truly up with leshy from the other bishops. He was never born for order, never born for good. He was born as a normal Darkwood worm, and found the crown. It gave him power like nothing else, and he loved it. He fought with the crown for more of its power, corrupting it with his greed, making himself the bishop of chaos.

This all culminates in a final Battle. All of the reformed bishops fight with the llama against Leshy, weakening him until they can get him to stop fighting. Once he is weakened, they show him how life could be. He submits, and is turned into the bishop of order, and his crown returned.

The llama, now without a crown, and no longer a bishop, has completed her journey. She knows she did the world a justice, and rejoices in the fact she reformed a world so set in its ways when they couldn’t see the wrong they had done.

….and that’s all I’ve got so far- I’m not sure if she dies, lives on as a normal mortal running her cult, maybe the bishops grant her immortality? I was also tossing around the idea that the bishops donate a bit of their power to create a crown for her, making her the bishop of something? Maybe the bishop of wisdom or perseverance or something? I never got that far.

I don’t know if I’ll continue this au, but I had this cooking in my brain soup, and figured I could pour out a bowl to sample. I might draw the reformed bishops later on if I get bored. This was fun to brainstorm though!

[snowstories]

Something I really love about A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening is how they mirror each other. Despite the fact that Link's Awakening has very little connection to A Link to the Past, it functions brilliantly as a sequel by complimenting and contrasting the latter.

A Link to the Past is a grand tale of destiny, of world-saving adventure that will no doubt go down as myth. Within the opening sequence of the game, your uncle dies in front of you, setting the tone for the rest of your adventure: this is serious, this is dark. You spend at least half your time in the 'Dark World', a corrupted realm with dangerous enemies, people trapped inside by their own greed. Your main enemy in the 'Light World' are brainwashed knights of Hyrule. And this game is difficult; enemies respawn constantly, ways to restore health are rare, a lot of the dungeons and bosses are incredibly punishing. Danger lurks around any corner, and there are very few truly safe areas in the game; and even then, they may be raided (see the Sanctuary).

Don't get me wrong: ultimately, A Link to the Past is a children's action/adventure game and the tone reflects that. There are a lot of fun, whimsical moments, and the darkness is more supposed to underscore the important nature of your quest than it's intended to be a horror upon itself. You are on a quest to save the world, and it wants you to feel the gravity of that. It is not afraid to get dark with it when it has to. This game takes itself very seriously, and wants you to take it serious as well.

In Link's Awakening, you get into the second dungeon by rescuing Madam MeowMeow's giant chainchomp Bowwow from dognappers. This game began as a fun side project of the developers and it shows. Link's Awakening is not a grand adventure to save the world: it is a quest to get off this fun, eccentric island. The stakes are lower and the game takes itself much less seriously, going so far as to incorporate Mario elements for no other reason than because it's fun. Perhaps this is version dependent (or, y'know, a skill issue on my part), I'm unsure, but at least Link's Awakening DX was also a lot less difficult than A Link to the Past, with much more frequent health drops and less and overall easier dungeons. It's not just that its story is more lighthearted; it feels less punishing to play than A Link to the Past. Link's Awakening does take itself serious when it has to, and asks that you take especially its emotional stakes seriously, of course; just like A Link to the Past has a lighter side, Link's Awakening has a more serious side. But ultimately, Link's Awakening never tries to fashion itself as some kind of grand adventure of myth: it's the tale of a single, strange island, as you grow to love it. Nothing more, nothing less.

In this, obviously, the two stories mirror each other: A Link to the Past with high stakes, a dark tone, and a harsh difficulty curve, contrasted to Link's Awakening, with lower stakes, a light-hearted tone, and much more forgiving gameplay. This works out beautifully for Link's Awakening; lots of sequels fall into the trap of trying to one-up the original, and it very often ends badly for them. Creating its own niche allows it to shine on its own without having to be compared to A Link to the Past, despite being a direct sequel. Famously, Majora's Mask also did this to great effect.

But what I find really interesting is how their endings contrast each other.

A Link to the Past has the most quintessential happy ending a game could possibly have. You reach the Triforce, and it magically makes everything okay again. People who died during the game (your uncle, the King of Hyrule, flute boy) are all alive and happy, Hyrule is thriving, all the maidens are save and happy, even the monster and the little ball from the Dark World, bully and victim in the game, are friends now. And finally, you place the Master Sword back in its pedestal, where it will sleep.... forever. (Hilarious with the power of hindsight, of course, but still.) A Link to the Past ends as happily as it possibly could have, with all the negative consequences of the game undone and everyone thriving. You fought a grueling fight, and now you and everyone you love gets to live happily ever after.

Link's Awakening, famously, does not end like that. From the beginning, you get clear hints that something is not right about Koholint, hints that become glaring fact as the game progresses and it's revealed that Koholint is a dream. And dreams have to end. Link's Awakening is not a tragedy; Koholint's disappearance is not a bad thing, and the game goes to great lengths to ensure you know this. Dreams are not meant to last forever, and waking the Wind Fish is Koholint's happy ending. And yet: it's sad. It's so terribly sad. Watching Koholint, the vibrant island you've come to love, disappear at the end of the game is heartwrenching. The ending of Link's Awakening is bittersweet, happy and sad at the same time. It's triumphant, it's necessary, and it's heartbreaking.

This, too, is a contrast and a compliment. In A Link to the Past, after all our hard work, we are rewarded with an uncomplicated happy ending that we simply do not get in Link's Awakening. Link's Awakening's ending is complicated; there is no way to soften the blow, to remove the consequences: Koholint will disappear. We see it happen. And we are not only asked to be okay with this: we are asked to be happy, despite how sad it is.

This is not something A Link to the Past does. A Link to the Past does not end with a shot of Link and Zelda happy despite the death of their caretakers, of Hyrule dealing with the consequences of Ganon's attack but growing despite it all; it ends by removing the effects of it entirely. Everyone who died is fine now, Hyrule is fine now, you are fine now. There is no sadness, no complexity: it is reality-defying happiness.

None of this is a bad thing: A Link to the Past has an extremely satisfying ending. But I love the way Link's Awakening contrasts it, forces you to deal with reality, to watch the dream pop and find beauty in it. Something can be sad and happy at the same time, and this is something to be celebrated. Where A Link to the Past offers you a no-string-attached happy ending, Link's Awakening forces you to confront the sadness that comes with happiness, complicates it in a way that A Link to the Past explicitly avoided.

A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening, despite at first glance having very little to do with each other, work very well as a series because of the way the two games compliment each other: light where the other is dark, complex where the other is simple, mirroring each other near-perfectly. It makes it extremely worthwhile to read their stories in tandem to each other; taking the other game into account can enrich the stories of both games immensely.

[violent-optimism]

A (somewhat organized) collection of thoughts/things I noticed from the new TF #7 Comic (Spoilers!) - Part 1

Hello yes, I have things I would like to say, please!!

Let's start with Soldier.

I think we all knew damn well this was coming, but I don't think anyone expected him to propose A MINUTE after where the last comic ended. They're so cute and perfect for each other in their own twisted way, UGH!!!

Also I love how Heavy says no and he blatantly ignores it because of course he does. Heavy clearly disapproves of this relationship, but I like to think he also said "no" because he understands that Zhanna is fully capable of making that decision on her own and in the end it's not his choice, it's hers.

Soldier has a LOT of scenes and dialogue in this comic and I don't think that's a coincidence. I think it was a very conscious choice to honor Rick May, whom this comic is dedicated to. All of Soldier's scenes were so good and funny and I like to think Rick May would have enjoyed them if he were still here.

2. Miss Pauling and the Australium

There is so much to talk about here but I'm going to try and keep it brief.

Now, this was always kind of my headcanon, but I genuinely think this comic proves that Australium has almost a corrupting ability for those around it (similar to the One Ring in LOTR). Almost like it brings out the worst in people, or at least the greed. Miss Pauling never seemed like a greedy person until she finally got her hands on the Australium. It really didn't seem like her and it was very off-putting (in a good way if that makes sense).

When I first read this I had this horrible, sinking feeling that Miss Pauling was going to betray the mercs and end up being the over-arching villain or something. Needless to say, I'm VERY glad I was wrong. But surely I wasn't the only one who feared this? I mean look at the way she's staring at it the entire comic! (except for the end).

Also I thought Miss Pauling was already second in command?? That's wild. She's done so much for the Administrator and she's not even near the top of the corporate ladder.

3. Spy saving Miss Pauling.

When I tell you I audibly GASPED when this happened. I was on the edge of my seat like I was watching a movie!

Between this scene and the part where Spy tries to comfort Miss Pauling when they're captured, it's obvious that he really, REALLY cares about her. It's so heart-warming that one of the (seemingly) coldest mercs is also the one that was literally willing to jump in front of a plane to save her.

Love it. Love it a lot.

4. Sniper and the Plane

Sniper, my beloved...I can't tell you how happy I was to finally see you in the new comic.

Out of all the things I would expect to be in Sniper's repertoire, being a pilot was definitely not one of them. And yet it just makes sense?? (he might not actually be a licensed pilot per say but the way Spy phrases the question makes me think this isn't the first time).

I also love how his only line of dialogue (I think) in the entire comic is when he suggests to steal a broken down plane lol truly a professional with standards.

I just love this shot SO much. Seeing all of them crammed into that tiny plane is such a hilarious idea on its own. I love how Pyro is reaching for the fire at the front of the plane (I think?) and Medic's hilarious expression as he looks out the window along with the baby baboon (His pet? His child??)

This reaffirms my theory that Sniper is just the designated driver no matter what is going on or what kind of vehicle it is. He looks like he's about to lose it on them like a frustrated dad at any second lol

5. Scout and Miss Pauling

I don't know how anyone else feels about this moment, but I personally LOVED it.

Because let's be honest, the trope of Scout being madly in love with Miss Pauling (and not receiving any ounce of affection back) was starting to become a little old and tiresome at this point. There needed to be some kind of resolution to it, but it's painfully obvious that things were never going to go the way Scout wanted them to.

And I love how he comes to this realization COMPLETELY on his own. Scout is smarter than people give him credit for and it's so refreshing for him to finally show some maturity and realize when enough is enough. It's time for him to move on and he knows that, and we eventually see him following through with it.

I also adore the scene that comes immediately afterwards. There's absolutely no hard feelings on either side and I just love their relationship for exactly what it is.

6. The Administrator Reveal and the Mercs Reactions

I'm not gonna lie, this was.....really fucking creepy. Like, it almost ventured into the horror genre which was not what I expected from a TF Comic (not that I'm complaining at all, I loved it!).

I cannot believe that this whole time Zepheniah Mann has actually been alive, and the Administrator has been keeping him that way and FORCING him to watch his sons pointless war for the rest of his life. Like...DAMN.

I know we still don't fully understand her motivations or why exactly she's doing this but in my opinion that actually makes it scarier. I like that we didn't just get all the answers on a silver platter and the writers still left some mystery, right until the end.

Most of the mercs do a good job at representing how I actually looked while I was reading this scene. Almost everyone looks either horrified or confused. Medic's the only one that looks more fascinated than anything but what else did you expect? lol

Part 2 to come!

[inevestigator]

what're your thoughts on neve's reaction to leaving the mayor of demeta's crossing?

neve disapproves.

this is really interesting, especially so early in the game, and it says a lot. because neve gallus fights corruption and greed every day of her life. she sees power corrupt and she's presented as the cynical, jaded detective who sees the darkness in the world and wants to fight against it.

and yet of all the companions there, she's the only one who disapproves of rook not giving the mayor a second chance.

she's also the one that brings up sending him to the wardens, if your rook is a warden. in other words, she wants to see him punished and redeemed. not dead.

and ultimately it is about redemption and manipulation. yes, greedy people are greedy and they can and will do things for the sake of greed. and we get notes that state the mayor has clearly been fleecing his constituents. not repairing things that need repairing etc.

but he's still just a person and the way he describes the influence of the gods being 'in his head' and 'making him want things' is very reminiscent of blood magic (which it is) and so there's an argument to be made that he was not in his right mind and he was being magically controlled. neve is automatically going to be the one with understanding of that.

bellara and harding seem to be looking at this from the perspective of people who have just witnesses a horrific scene, seen civilians and friends murdered and want to enact justice on someone for it. this kind of corruption is not new to neve (maybe not on this scale but it's not a new concept).

but is the mayor wholly responsible? no. however he does share some of the responsibility. this is the work of the gods, though. if he hadn't given in they probably still would have taken the village in the same way. this was an inevitability, he just chose to save himself. wrong? yes. but pretty expected from people in power if you're neve. and the blame still lies with the gods.

this speaks to neve's ability to see the bigger picture, and to put aside her feelings on horrific things to really get into the reasoning and put the blame where it should go. something that will come up again if you let minrathous fall.

however, she is not and they are not judge, jury and executioner.

does she trust the system? no. does she think people are better off dead? also no. she wants to see people choose to be better. she wants to see people getting the punishment they deserve, rather than the only punishment available. it speaks to her secret hopefulness, the reason she carries on despite her outlook being dour and her work being nigh on impossible.

this ends up being kind of a big thing in neve's plotline (except for when it isn't) and this moral choice either pays off, in the inspiring ending, when she turns aelia over to the authorities. or as we see her become the thing she disapproved of at the beginning, with the protector ending where aelia is turned over to the threads, a clear showcase of how seeing those horrific things happened to her people can actually alter her thoughts and perceptions. it's growth, but maybe not for the better.

i do believe that at the beginning of the game she genuinely cannot stomach the idea of letting someone be killed in a truly horrific fashion just to appease some twisted sense of justice. let him live with his decisions and choose to do better next time.

and god this pays off so well if you send him to the wardens. poetic cinema.

[theweeklydiscourse]

I feel like any alternate ending of Shadow & Bone that involves Alina losing her powers is inherently flawed.

For example, I’ve see people say that they could accept the Ruin and Rising ending if Alina actually CHOSE to give up her powers as opposed to them being stripped away by as punishment for her “greed”. Another potential ending I’ve seen involved Alina undergoing an actual corruption arc before losing her powers as a consequence for her wrongdoings. But I can’t help but feel that these endings are still dissatisfying.

Having her powers, and by extension her status as a minority in Ravka, taken from her gives her the easy way out and does not actually challenge Alina in a meaningful way. Why go through the difficulties of embracing your differences in the face of an intolerant society when you can simply be cured of those differences and assimilate? Of course, Alina loses a great deal when she loses her powers but what gives her ending the illusion of happiness is the fact that she gets to abandon all responsibility she had to her community and blithely trot her way into a life of obscurity where she never has to do the work of embracing who she truly is.

But of course, because her powers are intertwined with the Darkling due the fact that they are symbolic opposites any ending where he dies would be unsatisfying. LB would have to change the Darkling’s character quite radically to justify an ending where he is killed and Alina lives. The Darkling’s attempts to sway Alina by telling her that he is her only equal might be manipulative exempt for the fact that his claims are absolutely true! The contrary dynamic of Alina and the Darkling must remain in order for the story to be balanced and that balance cannot be achieved unless both of them reconcile.

Alina keeping her powers would deprive LB of taking the easy way out and using the Darkling as a convenient scapegoat to pin the systemic problems of Ravka (THAT SHE WROTE) onto. The story should have taken the route of a journey of self acceptance and liberation instead of glorifying repression and passivity.