#guardians of childhood analysis

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

sebek and his big ol' heart

Y’all thought I would be writing an extensive analysis on [REDACTED] or Skully but JOKE’S ON YOU, I love my lame idiot child Sebek 😭

When I tell you I actually CRIED MULTIPLE TIMES reading his Nightmare Suit vignettes… because all the pieces fit together SO well…

Before reading this (long) post, I’d like to ask that you also take your time to read this analysis and this analysis. They will help you understand some of the points I made later regarding Sebek and his internalized racism + how he expresses himself.

Have your recommended reading done? Great, then let’s hop to it!

***Spoilers for Sebek's Nightmare Suit vignettes, book 7, and various other Sebek and Silver card vignettes.***

Sebek is one of those characters that lives in infamy for how much time he takes to get warmed up to. He presents himself as loud and brazen, with these traits often earning him the ire of both in-universe peers and irl fans alike. Worst case scenario, Sebek can be seen as someone who is outright hateful. He’s rude to most people (including Silver, his childhood friend, sometimes), denounces humans, acts like Malleus can do nothing wrong, and doesn’t seem to respect his own father.

Well, I’m here today to tell you those claims are false and that Sebek is actually capable of so, so much love. All you need to really do is look at his Nightmare Suit vignettes—and how well they connect with the rest of his lore—to understand what I mean.

The vignettes start with Jack Skellington finishing a bento that Sally made for him. Sebek tells Jack that he should now return the basket that the bento was delivered in to her and to let her know what he thinks of her meals, but Jack says he can’t because he’s busy with Halloween preparations. Jack asks Sebek and Azul to return the basket in his stead, which they do. (These vignettes appear to be following Trey’s Nightmare Suit vignettes, as those open with Sebek and Trey seeing Sally jump out of a window with food with Jack. Sebek points out to Trey that Sally wants to hand deliver that food and says he believes there is some other reason than just being nice to Jack.)

They aren't allowed to see Sally because Dr. Finkelstein has locked her up for misbehaving, so they leave the basket. Azul advises that they also pass along Jack's comments (he had called Sally smart, thoughtful, and kind; he often forgets to have meals when he's absorbed with his work, so it's generous for her to prepare a delicious meal like this for him). Sebek loudly refuses, as he believes that hearing these grateful words from Jack himself would be much more meaningful to Sally.

He later confronts Sally at Town Hall and asks to speak with her privately (in an ALLEYWAY lol). There, Sebek flat-out tells Sally that such roundabout tactics will never help her feelings reach Jack because he's way too dense. Of course, she reacts with denial which sends Sebek into a passionate speech about the lengths Sally will go to for love (short of actually speaking about it). She literally threw herself out of a window and put herself in bodily harm to get to Jack when Dr. Finkelstein locked her in her room. She deliberately disobeyed her guardian and brainstormed a way to get out when theoretically she should not have been able to move around freely. If that's not motivated by love, then what is? Sebek declares that it's really annoying to watch Sally dance around the issue and to see her devotion go to waste. IT'S LIKE HE'S WATCHING/READING A ROMCOM AND THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS KEEP PLAYING THE "WILL THEY, WON'T THEY" CARD... She admits that she can't share her feelings because Sally thinks she's not worthy of someone as impressive as Jack... They're not compatible. And you know how Sebek responds??? BY TELLING SALLY ABOUT WHAT IS BASICALLY TWISTED ROMEO AND JULIET... Sebek reading tragic romance confirmed 😭 He describes the story as one of two lovers whose families do not approve of their union. In desperation, the lovers try to elope--but their plan fails and they return to their warring families. Instead of committing dying like in the original tale, the lovers live the rest of their lives lamenting the outcome and how they can no longer see the person they love most. Sebek shares his own interpretation of the story and its moral: because the lovers gave up hope that they could get their families to accept one another... because they never tried to get their families to get along... because they could not properly articulate their feelings to their families... the lovers could not be together. He is convinced that if they had communicated better, the story would have a happier ending. Sebek is of the firm belief that a story itself cannot come to be without the author wanting to share their own thoughts or feelings; he even suggests that maybe the author of Romeo and Juliet experienced something similar--a regret that resulted from neglecting to express deep-seated feelings. It's not just this book either, Sebek claims to have many stories with a similar theme or miscommunication leading to conflict.

Above all, Sebek stresses to Sally that she must believe in herself and take swift, decisive action. And why does Sebek whole-heartedly throw himself into this belief? Because his own family is living proof that a happy ending is possible if you try hard for it.

If you've paid attention to Sebek lore prior to this, you'll know that he has a human father and a fae mother. Their marriage faced opposition and scrutiny in Briar Valley, a country which is isolated from the rest of the world and suffered greatly from human invaders pilfering the fae lands for resources. One of these sources of opposition and scrutiny is Sebek's own grandfather and his mother's father, Baur. Apparently, Mrs. Zigvolt married Mr. Zigvolt against the wishes of her dad.

Sebek shares even more details with Sally in his Nightmare Suit vignettes. To this day, Baur does NOT approve of his daughter's marriage--but Mrs. Zigvolt doesn't let that get her down! No, she does everything in her power to prove to her father that she made the right choice and she's perfectly content with her life. She'll send letters enclosed with photographs of her family, take her children to visit Baur's home, and invite him to join family dinners. Sebek adds that he's sure his mom made other efforts too--all to try and get Baur to acknowledge her marriage. More recently, Baur seems to have lightened up a little... as in, he always used to turn Mr. Zigvolt away at the door, but now lets him in about once a year (though Baur still avoids eye contact with him and continues to frown). Mrs. Zigvolt stubbornly believes that if she keeps this up, her dad will one day change and bless her marriage with the man she truly loves. Sally commends Sebek and his mother's ability to speak their minds loudly and proudly, but then disparages herself again by saying she can't do the same. Sebek then confesses that he can relate to Sally's frustrations. He related her feelings to his own inadequacy in serving Malleus, the powerful and noble king-to-be of his country. That feeling... Sebek describes it as akin to heartache. But instead of wallowing in that heartache, he pushes himself to close that distance between himself and his idol. If he keeps hesitating, then there is absolutely no way he can catch up to where Malleus is! Sebek must dedicate himself to becoming someone worthy of serving him. He encourages Sally to do the same through both her words and her actions! At that moment, Jack walks in and Sally makes good on Sebek's advice. (This part isn't important to the analysis on Sebek's character, so I'm glossing over it.) The vignettes end with Epel complaining about Sebek being loud as per usual. Sally doesn't take issue with his volume though. She simply giggles and informs Epel that Sebek speaks so loudly and clearly so that his words can resonate with others--like how his words gave her courage.

We have learned new lore about Sebek's grandfather and mother. What does this tell us about Sebek? A lot, actually--if you slate it with all the other lore we have on hand.

We see just how strong of a woman his mother is. I suspect this is where Sebek picked up a lot of his hard-headedness, as well as the tendency to express himself very overtly, from. However, it also speaks to the loving environment he grew up in.

His mother seemingly never questioned her own life choices and never gave up fighting to prove her happiness to a father--and likely an entire community--that rejected her marriage, her husband, and maybe even her children. She fiercely loves and defends her family and the life they have made for themselves. Sebek states that he looks up to her for her magical strength, but that he also admires her principles and strong convictions. Indeed, it was her who ardently pursued Mr. Zigvolt and did not allow naysaying to deter her.

Then there is Mr. Zigvolt. In Sebek's Birthday Boy vignettes, he describes his father as "a strange man" who is "magically deficient" and "never lets his smile fade, no matter what I say to him [...] he defies comprehension." Though Sebek doesn't seem to hold the same amount of respect he has for his mother for his father, we don't hear Sebek openly insulting his dad, just expressing confusion about him. When asked about it, Sebek denies depending on his father--but it's clear there is a fondness there that he's not addressing. Mr. Zigvolt is impressed whenever his children use magic, buys them snacks they never asked for, and talks with them for long periods of time in a calm, patient manner. His father, too, has given Sebek so much compassion and understanding.

We don't know a lot about Sebek's siblings, but they seem to get along fine! He has mentioned going to parks with them. They've also gone fishing together and witnessed magic competitions, which they were all amazed by. The Zigvolts in general (or at least the parents) seem to be accepting too, as they volunteer to take Silver in whenever Lilia is unable to take care of him.

And you'd think that's where it ends, but NO. Baur ALSO has a lot of love to give. Despite not approving of his daughter's marriage, he doesn't actively despise his grandchildren. Quite the opposite, in fact! Though he's rough around the edges and looks scary, Baur doesn't fault any of his grandchildren for being born half fae and half human. He actually makes it a point to bond with them, and especially with Sebek. It was Baur who taught Sebek the language of nocturnal fae and instilled in Sebek his love for reading (as he bought many books for him and tells many stories himself). He also personally reached out to Lilia to train Sebek, as the young boy (at around age 7) expressed an interest in martial arts. Sebek has a love for salmon carpaccio because he and his siblings would fish at Baur's house and then prepare the dish for him--Baur was so happy about it. Additionally, Baur values getting a good education and was proud when Sebek shared with him that he was invited to attend Night Raven College.

Sebek grew up in a country that dislikes humans, but he was raised in an household where he was loved unconditionally and provided with all the resources he could need to get a good education and become someone who is physically strong. So of course he becomes frustrated when he sees Sally, who is so nervous to act on her feelings. What would have happened if Sebek’s mother had been like Sally, thinking she and her now-husband are incompatible? If she didn’t try pursuing her feelings at all? Sebek, as the youngest of three, might not event exist. His parents may not still be together… or maybe they wouldn’t have gotten together in the first place. It’s exactly because Sebek knows what love is supposed to be like--courtesy of his own family—that he can see it so well in others, and wants them to act on it. His very existence is proof that love is possible, and it transcends arbitrary labels like race that serve to divide people into categories.

One quirk of Sebek's is how he's always dishing out back-handed compliments or making comments that come off as rude but aren't at their core. He can't seem to help but say a good thing that sounds like something bad. His Diasomnia classmates, usually Silver, have to translate these Sebek-isms for others, who misunderstand him or interpret his words in the worst possible way. For example, from one of Silver’s Fairy Gala lines; “Sebek said to me that no self-respecting disciple of Lilia’s would dare get a single stain on this clothing. That's his way of encouraging me.” In Silver's Dorm Uniform vignettes, Sebek tries to reassure his friend and tell him to not let other people's opinions hurt him--but he phrases it as, "Hmph, ridiculous! I see no reason for you to heed a few random comments from some humans." The duo is also shown to be competitive with one another in training; it's never malicious, they both want to prove themselves as the superior knight, and the other serves as motivation to improve and/or a means of measuring one's own growth against a fellow disciple. When the mostly elderly population of Harveston is in need of physical labor, Sebek comments "[...] the humans in Harveston are woefully out of shape," yet he insists he "still [has] energy to burn" (as if to volunteer himself to do more work) and calls such tasks "simple" (as if to point out how easy it is for him to do, so don't worry about troubling him). He hauls apples and helps the villagers with whatever they need, declaring that they should "be grateful"--but if he truly did not care, he could have stopped at any time or settled for just making fun of them. But Sebek doesn't, because he DOES care deep down. This aspect of Sebek is made even more obvious in Fairy Gala: What If. He appears at Ramshackle and opens by declaring, "NO! I am by no means worried about anyone! [...] Don't mistake my intentions. I am NOT here to help! If your mission doesn't succeed, the repercussions will definitely affect Malleus and Lilia. Hence... I shall lend you uneducated humans my aid! [...] You're welcome to weep with joy at my magnanimity..." Time and time again, we see Sebek demonstrating a lot of kindness, but deflecting or not being totally transparent with his intentions due to pride or embarrassment. This behavior is very reminiscent of Baur, the grandfather that Sebek loves dearly and spent so much time with. Baur, too, can be very passionate and loving, but struggles to speak of those feelings openly. Just look at how the man deals with Mr. Zigvolt. The behaviors of the family, then, imprint on Sebek and influence his behaviors--and being that Sebek is from such a loving group, it follows that Sebek puts out a lot of love into the world too.

A lot of times when the fandom discusses Sebek's attitude, I feel it's from the context of him being hateful towards humans. I'm not going to deny that Sebek has said some pretty nasty things about half of his own identity. The point I would like to make here is that Sebek can love just as strongly.

The most obvious thing that supports the claim that Sebek is capable of strong love is how he views Malleus. It's no great secret that Sebek practically worships the ground his dorm leader walks on. That's essentially Sebek's key defining character trait. What I'll ask you to consider instead is the nature of Sebek's love--not the obsessiveness of it, but rather the unconditional nature of it.

In Lost in the Book with Nightmare Before Christmas, Skully laments that Sebek has not been disappointed by his idol, Malleus. Sebek actually corrects him by saying that love isn't imposing your own views on your idol, it means preparing to accept them, flaws and all. He says the same of Malleus; should the time ever come where Sebek's expectations of Malleus falter or their paths have to diverge, then he will still embrace his young master, never once turning his back on him. And where does Sebek gets this from? His parents. The father who loves his children no matter how critical Sebek may be of him. The mother who remained so strong in the face of her friends and family being against her life choices.

A common fandom sentiment regarding Sebek is that he blindly follows Malleus--and to be fair, he does for a large part of the main story. But when speaking about his idol to Skully, Sebek says that agreeing with someone and continuing to love them are different things. You can disagree with someone's actions and still continue to love them and accept them. This follows what Sebek does in book 7 and likely alludes to the character development he goes through during + following book 7; though he is betrayed and hurt by Malleus turning his powers against the world, Sebek does not let up on the hope that he can bring his young master back. He even sillily calls the yet-to-be-hatched Malleus tamago/egg-sama, showing even an infant form of Malleus great respect after witnessing his OB. Skully took the opposite path that Sebek did; when he realized that his own idol, Jack Skellington, was not as he imagined him to be, Skully became enraged and lashed out over it. Sebek points out Skully's inadequacies as well, which ties back to how he spoke of his own drive to improve in his Nightmare Suit vignettes. Skully confesses to trying desperately to emulate Jack--so much so that he breaks down when Sebek's UM destroys his iconic shades. He wallows in his current state and doesn't make efforts to change or to be better; the past and his own vision is where he's comfortable. It's a strong contrast to Sebek, who has made it clear he will continue to train and work hard to prove his merits and to be someone worthy of protecting the great Malleus Draconia.

It is Sebek's passion and boundless love that makes him a hero both in Lost in the Book with Nightmare Before Christmas AND in the main story's book 7. He serves as a foil to Skully in the former and actively saves Silver when he's on the brink of despair in the latter. After learning that his biological father is the man responsible for killing Malleus's mother and leading the Silver Owls' onslaught on Briar Valley, Silver despairs and comes to the conclusion that his father must loathe him. "He could never love the son of the man he despised! He has to hate me! He has to!" Sebek rushes to Silver's side using Living Bolt, a UM he has yet to master (thus causing residual damage to him when he casts it), to correct him:

"You have this much strength... and you dare to say you weren't loved?! That you were hated?! [...] If [Lilia] hated you, he didn't have to give or teach you anything. He could've just raised you into a dimwitted coward and made you a servant. But he didn't--and look at you now. Even alone and helpless, you stood firm. You spoke up, unfaltering in the face of our liege's madness. Even trapped in the darkest despair, you kept on fighting! Who raised you to be so strong? LILIA DID! Why don't you see? Why do you doubt? You should have understood years ago! What can you call your strength, if not the direct result of Lilia's love?!"

WHETHER SEBEK REALIZES IT OR NOT, A LOT OF WHAT HE TELLS SILVER HITS HOME FOR HIM TOO... Like, thinking about it... Sebek must have faced a lot of prejudice from his community because of who his father is. He might have grown up thinking he, too, was hated, had he not been protected by his loving mother, father, and, yes, even grandfather, who is still struggling to accept the human in their family. Baur must have been feeling very complicated emotions upon meeting his half human grandchildren for the first time... but even though he dislikes humans, he could never find it in himself to dislike his grandkids. If he had hated Sebek, he wouldn't have wanted him to get a good education. Baur wouldn't be happy that he got into NRC. He wouldn't personally ask Lilia to train the grandson who expressed an interest in combat. He wouldn't buy so many books for Sebek or read with him or tell him stories or teach him his language. He wouldn’t spoil Sebek by giving him sweets (which, by the way, Baur himself dislikes). But Baur DOES do all of these things, because deep down he loves Sebek no matter what he is. You can hear it in the hurt of Sebek’s voice when dream!Baur reacts to him coldly. That isn’t the grandfather he is used to. Though it’s said that Baur doesn’t exactly welcome his grandchildren with open arms, he definitely loves them and cares for them in his own way. If it was anything less than love Baur felt for his grandson, if he decided to neglect his grandkids, then Sebek would have grown up as some "dimwitted coward". IT'S ALL CONNECTED.

This even extends to Sebek’s evaluation of Malleus in book 7. When OB Malleus appears in Lilia’s dream, Sebek pleads with him. “You were born from the love of so many, my liege! It’s not right for you to become an enemy bated by all the world!” Like with Silver, these words also apply to Sebek, even if he is not aware of it. Sebek was born from the love of many people in his life. Not just his family, but also by those in Diasomnia. Lilia gives him wisdom and guidance, Silver is his sparring partner and smooths over arguments with classmates for him, and Malleus is his shining light and idol. Sebek is the youngest both of his siblings and of the Diasomnia group: he is spoiled by the others and given so much love. Yet he is also commonly hated by his peers for his attitude.

And now here Sebek stands, able to tell others that they are loved and should be cognizant of that love. He reminds Silver that Lilia loves him. He tries to talk reason into Malleus. He advises Skully to reevaluate how he sees his idol. He tells Sally to speak honestly about her feelings, because it was his own mother speaking honestly about hers that led to Sebek and his entire family being as happy as they are now. He shouts at people to act and to speak their minds because he doesn't want them to live with regrets, because he doesn't want to see them be weak and timid--a version of himself that could have resulted if he hadn't been loved so strongly.

You can say many things about Sebek: that he's loud, that he's rude, that he's a fanboy, that he has big muscles. But of all those muscles, Sebek has a very big heart too. And what made him so strong? All the love he received from his family, despite growing up an environment that surely invited hatred for humans.

[no1onepiecefan]

luffy’s memory issues are one of my favourite parts to his character. apologies for the personal anecdote, i promise it’s relevant to the analysis, but i have memory issues too. and while i’ll never truly be able to articulate the experience, it’s a scary thing to not remember. people know who i was in the past better than i do, and i live each moment understanding that the present is all i have in guarantee.

i’ll never know the exact reason behind this, but i know at least some stems from what i have unconsciously done to soothe myself from past pains and loneliness. some part of me thinks that luffy has done that too.

luffy’s childhood was horrific. while not morbid and unimaginable like law or robin’s for example. and it wasn’t framed by specific moments of catastrophic tragedy like franky or chopper’s either. instead, it was continuously difficult in an everyday way.

from as young as we have seen luffy, garp has either been absent or cruel; his one family member. he lived in a jungle at age ten, thrown into the fire all but literally by his grandfather. it is inhumane and unjustifiable from garp. he was raised by mountain bandits, and yes, mountain bandits who did their best and were better, constant figures in luffy’s life, more than anyone who had inherent responsibility towards him; mountain bandits nonetheless.

dadan & co never asked to be guardians, and never quite learned to orientate their behaviours to be so. luffy was in less than ideal conditions, treated in less than ideal ways at times, and was never truly, gently cared for other than brief, fleeting moments with makino and shanks.

his brothers, while they grew to lean on and love each other, were initially so against even the idea of him. sometimes isolation is bearable until it is obvious. and luffy, who must’ve been so alone, was now also being pushed away. his one haven, ace, someone near his age in the exact same situation as himself, wanted nothing to do with him. and that jungle must’ve felt a lot bigger despite his situation not having changed.

luffy’s life has been a battle of constant, small problems. he has larger traumas like shanks losing his arm and losing sabo, and that all adds. if luffy sat and dwelled in his past memories, what would he find? not countless searing horrors but a day to day existence that was synonymous with tinging unhappiness.

it’s not far fetched to theorise that luffy’s unending clamber to simply live resulted in a memory filled with gaps, and a memory that will never adhere to names that well, or remember what happened that week. losing ace no doubt didn’t help, in fact it may have resigned luffy’s memory to its fate. a life of loneliness and constant struggle, united with an incomprehensible trauma.

it means a lot to me, and i see a lot of myself in him, as he forgets things which are important to him; as sombre as that is. like marco’s name, who he only remembered to thank and couldn’t remember anything more. it aches to not know, the fear of not remembering loved ones, losing what little i have. i wonder if luffy fears losing his memories of ace? i wonder if he curses never being able to forget the sound ace made as he fell to the ground, but not being able to remember how his smile reached his eyes.

[mitfloya]

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐙𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞

pairings. Zayne x gn!reader

wc. 7K (yes, I like to torture myself)

synopsis. He was believed to be devoid of emotions, until you unveils his chilling secret. His hidden obsession with you has ensnared you in his icy sanctuary. You were blind to his fixation until it was too late, and now you find yourself trapped in his clutches, unable to escape.

warnings. The following content contains elements of obsessive behavior, yandere thoughts, stalking, possessive behavior, and may include poorly written narratives. Reader is referred to as 'you'. Proceed with caution, as this writing may be unsettling or uncomfortable for some individuals.

a/n. Hello people of the internet! I’m pretty new on this writing community so I hope I bring you guys some good crumbs to munch on! and excuse my horrible grammatical errors, English is not my first language. I may or may not have spend my time throwing up this whole ass detailed (press x to doubt) HC out of my mind, I tend to go overboard with my analysis and writing. Get some snacks and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy making this HC.

p.s. this is a reupload ver. the original of the post is accidently deleted

♡ Please reblog and comment on this post are much, much appreciated ♡

Ah…the ice king himself, known for his emotional detachment and seemingly heartless demeanor. His motives and intentions remain shrouded in mystery, as he builds impenetrable walls around himself. Yet, somehow, you managed to slip through those barriers, like a delicate flower pushing through the cracks in concrete, planting the seed of love without his knowledge.

Does he act upon it? Certainly not at first. He ignores it. Pretend that is was merely a sign you were someone he tolerated.

His acts of kindness are always subtle and unexpected. He treats you in a way that evokes certain reactions.

At first, he might seem out of reach. But you never know that he is always there for you. Always observing and studying your responses.

As you both transition into adulthood, he becomes your primary physician, a role that only intensifies his growing obsession with you. He never considered himself capable of falling in love at first sight, but his feelings for you gradually took root. He is always there with you, from childhood and in adulthood. Fate must have bestowed him with great luck to be your guardian, the one who monitors your health and controls your existence.

The time when you both went on your separate ways before you met again, he feels a void, a sense that something is missing. Maybe you meant more than he thought. The loss of you kills him. But does this heavy feeling affect his daily activities? no.

The thought of not knowing about your health and safety gnaws at him, like a splinter lodged in his mind. Have you eaten yet? Did you eat enough? Did you get enough sleep? Did you stumble upon an accident? Just a single scratch of wound on your skin would infuriate him.

You, on the other hand, dismiss it as the instinctual concern of a physician, and your own health condition made it even more difficult for him to let you go. You were far too precious to be released or, worse, left alone and broken.

Even when you’re away on your mission, he always ask about your being and whereabouts. He just wanted to know how you’re doing and it shows how much he cares for you, not monitoring you! That’s ridiculous, right?

However, whenever you were around him, you never felt like you were in control of your own bodily autonomy. Maybe you’re seeing things but have you realize how much you’re changing your lifestyle?

Zayne intelligence is no joke. You were far too naive to look back over your shoulder to notice he is manipulating you. He wants you to be completely dependent on him. But is it really that bad? After all, he was providing you with a healthier lifestyle, not to mention preserving your beauty. Or so it seemed.

Oh, but when you became his, everything changed. He became more open, more loving and caring, the kind that makes you melt to the ground and swallow you whole. Always attentive to your needs and wants, he has no problem with you buying expensive items, the money isn’t his concern. Your happiness is.

His actions become more evident, sometimes you notice it in the way he always makes sure you’re fully geared up and energized for the day, or the way he tries his best to brighten up your day in rainy days.

And when the time came for you to move in together, almost imperceptibly, it felt natural, that’s when he brings the real authenticity of himself, the carnal desire to claim over you starts to show.

He adorned you with the finest fabrics, adorned you with the most exquisite gems and jewelry that accentuated your beauty without overshadowing it. He always gives you the best and never less.

No one would question how many pictures he has of you around the house, as they simply depicted a man deeply in love with his partner…wait, you don’t remember taking this picture..how did he get this picture? 

Caleb gives it to him. As always he has answers to everything, it makes you think he is expecting that kind of question, which is an odd behavior.

Even the windowsill display those seals and trinkets he has given you over the years, customized to your liking.

You saw it as a preservation of memories and the time he had spent with you, when it’s clearly a growing sign of obsession with the abundance of things of your own possessions, or things that reminded him of you were around the house, to the dark corners of his secret room you were unaware of. 

You don’t realize you were brainwashed, did you? Or maybe because he is telling the truth from the start, he loves you very much and his actions serve as undeniable proof!

Until you try to resist or argue with him. It would be best for you to stay obedient and let him lead, he is the man in the relationship, you are his good girl, right? He never wants to hurt you, he is doing it for the better sake of you.

You learned your lesson when you got your first punishment. Each mistake or letdown adds a droplet, gradually increasing the intensity. When the glass finally overflows, it serves as a stark warning to never hurt or disappoint him.

Your life revolves around him. You want to buy groceries? Wait until he finish work. You want to go to the park? Let’s go together and don’t forget your coat, he doesn’t want you to get cold. You want to have some time alone outside? Sure.

Ah, the innocence of those early stages of dating, when the idea of tracking your partner's whereabouts seemed endearing. Little did you know that innocent app you stumbled upon on a social media platform would become the chains that bind you. In the beginning, it seemed like a cute way to track the distance between you and your partner.

That app, like a digital spider's web, silently weaves its threads around your every move. From the moment you installed it, it became his watchful eye, tracking your every step, monitoring your every move.

How naive and compliant you are, unknowingly making it easier for him to watch over you. 

He doesn’t react much when a guy approaches you, no one will be brave enough, because you will always stay glued to his side. He often uses his sharp tongue to highlight their flaws and insecurities. Give them a judgmental stare at the guy as if he was nothing and brings nothing good in life like a mosquito.

Resorting to violence or criminal acts were never his first choice to get rid of those pesky nuisances, his jealousy always remains hidden and possibly close to nonexistent.

Because he knows, you will always comes running back to him. Even if you manage to slip from his grasp, he holds the power to reclaim you, by any means necessary. In dire circumstances, he does not hesitate to resort to violence, to eliminate anyone who dares to steal you away. He doesn't care if he has to hurt you or isolate you, nobody could ever love you like he did. 

Once you are married and start a family together, your life will be forever intertwined with his. That's the end of you or maybe a better version of you that you never envisioned or hoped for, nevertheless it was all because of your love for Zayne that you willingly let him take control, it’s the best life you could ever live in, right?

You will never leave out of his sight forever.

© 2024 mitfloya — all rights reserved. kindly refrain from altering, translating, or repost my works on any platform without my consent, do not claim my content as yours.

[chebyshevptera]

YANMA!!!!

Tell me more about Lloyd in your destinyswap au and my life…. Is yours

(No pressure)

HEHAHDJAGA hi rusty!! Sure thing!!

here tha baby : ) ❤️ ramble under cut

destinyswap Lloyd had a good childhood with both of his parents present, a mom with a well paying job to provide him with whatever he desired , and his dad who helped train him to be a strong and capable fighter . he grew up knowing all there was to know of prophecies and elements and things alike

ds Lloyd wasn’t RAISED to be discouraged from his dragon or oni heritage , so , at this point , lloyd has essentially mastered both forms (we’ll get to this some other day though…) . he also knows spinjitzu before the ninja team is formed , and he actually gives them excitable advice on how to use it (resulting in kai being the first one out of the other four at the time!)

a lot of his issues come from the fact that he had to watch his uncle succumb to darkness . Lloyd has always loved Wu , and the thought of losing his uncle forever haunts him more than he likes to admit . Wu was genuinely an amazing additional guardian to him , which adds to the hurt , because Lloyd sees his uncle acting in horrific ways and slowly fails to recognize him.

that aside though ……i love ds lloyd . In destinyswap , he is still mischievous and snarky and likes to pull pranks , but he’s never unnecessarily cruel , and he loves to help people . He is a pacifist , thanks to his father’s teachings , and mostly fights with the intent to disarm or stun his opponent , rarely hurt , and never killl . Although he loves broadswords , he , once again , has learned to use them in less harmful ways . He just likes the chunky swords. He would probably be a claymore user in genshin

Despite his element easily being dangerous , Lloyd uses it to help , or at least in controlled ways . he even knows how to singe wounds with his fire to prevent extra damage . when Nya or any of his other friends are sad, Lloyd uses his element to warm himself up to a comfortable level and then hugs them as a form of comfort . He uses it to relieve muscle cramps from his friends (and even his opponents) sometimes too . He’s a really sweet kid

idk what else to put for analysis / lore so here’s some canon stuff about him for destinyswap :)

- when he first met Jay, Lloyd pestered him about Starfarer knowledge because he was so excited to meet someone who knew THE Cliff Gordon . In fact … that’s the only reason he even knew who Jay was

- he still has a big sweet tooth , but it’s even worse in ds . He whines when he has to eat something that isn’t drowning in sugar, and the drinks he orders are so sweet that it grosses Kai out

- he really wants to dye a streak of his hair green, like Morro’s , but hasn’t known how to bring it up

- he’s great at math , but hates it . Jay’s ranting about measurements can put him to sleep

- he stuffs tiny creatures into his pockets (safely, carefully) and tries to bring them back to the temple . Garmadon always catches him because he tends to stumble as he walks , because he’s staring at the little animal in his pocket

- he has never ordered the same ice cream flavor twice , but that’ll change once he “tries every flavor and decides which is the best”

- he has a big comic book collection , still ongoing

- when he was younger , he used to tighten his belt too tight and then complained about it during training before his father figured out what the problem was

- I said this before, but sometimes , he speaks like an old person . can’t really blame him though

- he climbs into someone else’s bed almost every night , and since he’s so small, they usually don’t notice until the morning

[calebs-anchor]

Caleb Character Analysis part 1: The Ever Experiments

(This is mostly lifted from a video I posted on tiktok, with some slight changes/clarifications)

The first and most important thing to keep in mind here is that, according to his anecdote 'Pathless Realm', Caleb has suffered from dissociative amnesia throughout his life. I'm obviously not a psychologist, but based on some light research this basically seems to mean that he has mentally blocked out a lot of the traumatic memories of what happened during the experiments, so while he is definitely aware of them he doesn't remember exactly what happened.

This isn't the same as MC, who loses all or most of her memories every time she is killed and resurrected, but it's worth noting they both have issues with their memories & remembering the details of their trauma, and neither can give us the full picture of what happened in their childhoods.

We can also make note that Caleb was recorded to be 9-10 years old while the experiments were happening. This adds an interesting layer to the fact that Caleb constantly tries to take blows for MC and endures trauma so that she doesn't have to. Throughout all of this he was barely less of a child than MC was, but because he is the slightest bit older (and also because it seems that Josephine often left her under his care growing up while she was working) he sees himself as responsible for her wellbeing. This, in some sense, causes Caleb to see himself as older and more mature than he actually is. He was forced to become a caretaker/guardian figure and take on a lot of adult responsibilities at a very young age, which is why he's also so averse to showing vulnerability like we see in 'Hidden Waves'. He feels that if he can't be the mature, unwavering "pillar of strength" that he thinks MC needs him to be, he is failing to be good enough to protect the person he loves the most.

Now let's get into the actual contents of the experiments. We already know what happened to MC from World Underneath, but for anyone needing a refresher she was used for the Aether Core in her heart and her Resonance Evol, and was repeatedly killed so that the researchers could observe her coming back to life with the intention of using her to unlock the secret to immortality. However, things aren't quite as clear cut for Caleb. The only main sources we have are from his first trailer, which says that "They are the optimal weapon for destroying one another" and a few passages from his anecdote, such as:

"He knows he's always been good at destroying delicate things. The people behind the observation window say that the test subject will become a force comparable to a black hole given time. Not even light could escape it."

From these sources we can gather that Caleb was also used for his Evol with the aim of creating black holes (something we know he is able to do as of 'Homecoming Wings') and that he and MC were made to be able to counter each other, likely as a safeguard. Since they were both extremely powerful, the idea of them being optimal for destroying each other perhaps suggests that they were designed so that if MC's power became too dangerous Caleb could be used to destroy her and vice versa.

We can also gather that Caleb was labelled/labels himself as inherently destructive and dangerous. This seems to have had a long term effect on his self image, as the line from his anecdote establishes that this is something "he knows" and believes to be true, affecting the way that he sees himself especially in comparison to MC. I have a video going slightly more into this on my tiktok page, but essentially Caleb seems to see himself as inherently destructive and bad, while MC is an embodiment of goodness and warmth: the "black hole" that even light can't escape VS the "Unicorn" that brings eternal life. This is potentially why he takes on the role of protecting MC so intensely, as he thinks he deserves the suffering more than she does and is willing to take abuse on her behalf to protect her.

It becomes even more interesting if we consider the religious themes of their storyline with all the references to Adam & Eve, paradise and sin. Caleb views himself as inherently "sinful", just like the original sin described in the Bible that all humans are born with because of Adam & Eve. The only way to cleanse oneself of original sin is to submit to God, the embodiment of goodness and purity, and so Caleb, in a way, submits himself to MC. We have seen how highly he thinks of her, as he frequently describes her as "the best of the best", says that he thinks the world doesn't deserve her, and on multiple occasions comments that he thinks that anything that stands against her shouldn't exist or should disappear.

In short Caleb doesn't just love MC, he reveres her in a way that borders on religious and is willing to devote himself entirely to her service. That's why even from a young age he has taken on the role of protecting & serving MC, giving her almost anything she asks for, doing almost anything she wants, and making sure that no matter what she always feels like she is safe and happy and that he will always be there for her. I think he feels that by doing this, he is atoning for his "original sin" of simply existing as himself. He feels that if he can adequately "serve" MC, if someone as good and pure and warm as her can love or even just approve of him, it can make up for all of his feelings of guilt and sin and destructiveness. She is his salvation.

This is already a lot on his shoulders, but if we go back to the experiments I think there is one more thing at the source of Caleb's guilt, one big example of his destructiveness that serves as the main reason he sees himself the way he does: the Chronorift Catastrophe.

As we've already established, Caleb's Evol is capable of creating black holes/wormholes, so it's not unreasonable to think that he could have been used to open the Deepspace Tunnel (intentionally or not). However this would take a lot of power, more than I think a 9 year old boy would be able to achieve, unless we consider the fact that MC may have used Resonance to boost his power to the necessary level (and likely killing herself in the process). This then is their shared sin, like the sin shared between Adam & Eve when they both bit the apple, and it's one that neither seems to remember due to their respective memory loss issues. If this is the case, it gives us yet another reason for Caleb's inherent feelings of guilt: whether he knows it or not, he was directly responsible for the event that almost destroyed humanity and caused MC, the person he cherishes most, some of her deepest lasting traumas. It's yet another thing he feels the need to make up for by protecting her.

It's also how they both manage to escape the labs before later reuniting at the shelter (although I have seen speculation that the "shelter" actually was the experiment facility and that Caleb is lying to MC about it, but I'm not sure whether I agree with this based on what we've seen). When they do reunite MC doesn't remember who Caleb is, marking just one of many times that he has to reintroduce himself to her. This is another one of the "duties" he takes on for her, promising to always be there to remind her who they both are and swearing to be by her side forever. I think this is another reason that Caleb is so obsessed with having MC by his side: not just because that's what he promised her, but because he's afraid that if he's not there to remind her who he is she might one day forget him forever.

He also chooses never to remind MC of what happened to them during the experiments, or at least what he remembers of it himself. The reasoning of this is obvious, Caleb doesn't want her to be upset or in any way traumatised by it, so if there's a way to let her forget all about it he'll let her. However, I think it's significant that from a young age he chooses to take on this burden by himself for the both of them, as this will become a running them as I cover more of his cards & storylines.

[imsosleepyofyourbull]

Trey Clover Playlist + Analysis

Okay, so first and foremost; this playlist is a WORK IN PROGRESS that I will be slowly adding to as I find more neat songs and further develop my understanding of Trey as a character. He’s a very neat little dude who has rather unexpectedly become my #1 favorite (skating right past Ruggie who had been my #1 since I first found the game) and I wish more people talked about him. This is me trying to get people to talk about him, and also me making up an excuse to yap some more.

Here’s the playlist on YouTube Music!

Here it is again on Spotify!

And if you listen to it while you read, you may notice that a lot of these songs have some vaguely conflicting themes. That’s because I’m insane and LOVE exploring the way Trey’s ingrained instinct to watch out for the people around him gets in the way of his personal desire to be perceived as an unremarkable person, and how that meshes with his unexpectedly sly nature. Many of the songs I included are clearly sung from the perspective of a caretaker trying to do their best to hold their loved one together. The Rockrose and The Thistle and Welly Boots are the most obvious examples of this, but it’s also in Achilles Come Down and Coraline (once you translate Coraline’s lyrics.)

This is a pretty obvious reference to the way that Trey plays the peace maker and reliable right hand within the structure of Heartslabyul, as well as his complex dynamic with Riddle as the result of his childhood guilt. At the same time, however, there are songs like The Harpy and the Hare and And the Hound, which create an image of a caretaker who is (unintentionally or deliberately) smothering their wards. This is in reference to the way that multiple characters call out how dangerous it can be for Trey to cover up for everyone’s mistakes and concerns, as it can lead to them being unable to take care of themselves and messing up really badly when Trey isn’t there. Further, there are songs like Over&Over or Timekeeper’s Heartbeat where I play with Trey’s exhaustion and burnout.

These pieces all contribute to the mystery of Trey’s character, and who he is as a person.

His care for the people around him is undeniably sincere, especially for Riddle, but it also seems to be a learned response from his position as both the oldest son in his family and vice housewarden of Heartslabyul. The reliable older brother to much more interesting and energetic younger siblings. The steady but unremarkable right hand to the rose red prodigy tyrant. And that’s just the image he wants to cultivate, isn’t it? That’s how he wants people to look at him, right? He’s repeatedly told everyone around him that he prefers to not draw any more attention than he has to, because he’s a perfectly normal guy who isn’t worth it.

But how much of that comes from a place of genuine wanting, and how much of it is the result of his experience as “the guardian?” When he says that his care for the people around him isn’t as kind as people believe it is, I wonder if that means he’s aware of the box he’s built around himself in an effort to keep being everyone else’s safety net. It even plays into his unique magic and how it’s revealed to us! He doesn’t go to any effort to hide what it does, and willingly uses it to change the flavor of their dessert when Cater asks him. As far as anyone else is aware, Doodle Suit is a harmless trick incapable of causing any real harm.

But then he uses it to overwrite the spells of one of the most prodigious and powerful mages that attends their school.

He clearly knew what it was capable of for quite a while before he used it like this too, given the ease with which he deploys it in action. He’s a total wolf in sheep’s clothing; but for whom he chooses to play the harmless woolen prey, the sharp-toothed predator under the moon, and the protector of the pack changes from moment to moment. It seems to depend on whether it’s his own personal desire or his built in response to put the people around him above himself that takes precedence. But the vast majority of people he interacts with don’t end up ever realizing this about him because of how his motivations manifest. He doesn’t want trouble, so he prevents trouble from being able to occur in the first place by getting in the way to solve it.

His image is his mask, and his cage.

[heyftinally]

April 30th is the Day of the Homeschooled Child

I was one of the 1.7 million children homeschooled in the USA.

I am also one of Homeschool's Invisible Children.

I was heavily restricted at home - I was barred from nearly everything that my peers were connecting with. I had incredibly limited access to movies and TV, even more restricted internet access, and was even barred from many of the same toys my peers played with. This on top of my academic isolation made socializing very hard.

I didn't relate to my peers socially.

Children younger than me were more academically advanced than me.

I was socially unaware, and frequently missed jokes or made faux pas comments because I didn't understand how to interact with peers.

My ADHD went untreated my entire childhood.

And the issues were not only social. Despite living in a state that boasted some of the most rigorous checks for homeschooled students, I was missed. My portfolios every year were falsified - much of what they claimed I had learned I had little to no understanding of.

By the time I graduated high school "with honors" (that I did not earn and were entirely false), this is a brief list of some of my academic failings:

I had never written an essay, and did not know how

I did not know how to do a critical analysis of a piece of text or media

I was incapable of math above a 4th/5th grade level

I could not tell time on an analog clock

I could not identify more than ~5 states on a map of the United States

I could not identify more than ~5 countries on a map of the world/globe

I could not spell above a ~6th grade level

I did not know that there was proof of life on earth prior to dinosaurs

I did not know that the lymphatic system was real

And so much more.

I entered college woefully unequipped for both the academic and socal demands that were placed on me. At 18, I was closer to as 14 year old, social/emotionally. Academically I was much worse.

I had to work three times as hard as my peers to achieve the same results, battled my still-undiagnosed ADHD as well as my academic and social neglect.

I didn't fully know who I even was as a person, due to spending so many years being expected to fit a specific ideal that was enforced upon me 24/7 through the isolation of homeschooling.

This April 30th, I'm wearing green for Homeschool's Invisible Children - for children like me.

If you are a child experiencing homeschool neglect, please know that you are not alone. There are resources available to you, and your future is not doomed just because your guardians failed to educate you. I'm listing some resources below that may be of help to you.

Homeschool alumni/survivors who resonate with this story: we deserved better. We deserved education. We deserved freedom. It's okay if you're angry at your past. It's okay if you're grieving the life you might have had without homeschooling. It's okay if you're conflicted. I hope you're able to find closure and healing in whatever form that means for you.

And, because I know it unfortunately needs to be said, if you're an ex-homeschooler or a homeschool parent who feels the need to jump on this post and defend yourself, I need you to step back, sit down, delete your comment, and sit with why you feel so attacked by our truth.

This is not a personal attack on you - this is abuse survivors speaking up to prevent further abuse. It is not your place to tell us we should be silent.

"But homeschoolers test better and are more successful!" I'm sure you're dying to say. To wave your statistics at me.

And you would be wrong. Because here's the problem with those statistics.

Let's pretend we have ten homeschooled children and ten public schooled children.

All ten of the public schooled children take a school assessment. Because some excel at different things than others, the public school students average out to an 85.

Only four of the homeschooled children take the assessment. Of the other six, one is traveling with their family during the assessment, two are not permitted because their parents know they aren't up to grade level and fear backlash or judgement, two are mentally or physically disabled and so their parents don't feel the test will adequately display their knowledge, and the last hasn't received any kind of education in years because their parents keep them at home either doing chores, working a job, caring for siblings, or they are simply neglected and spend all day hungry and scared.

Of the four homeschooled children that do take the assessment, they do quite well, as their parents knew/suspected they would. Their average score is a 98.

A 98 is better than an 85, yes. But just because 4 out of 6 homeschooled children were above the public school average does not mean homeschooling is automatically better. If you tested the top four public school students, they might very well score a 98 as well.

However, if you included those other six homeschooled students, the average homeschool score would very likely be something closer to a 45.

So when we talk about Homeschool's Invisible Children, we're talking about those six that never got the chance to take an assessment. Those six who never had a chance to tell a teacher "I'm ten and I don't know how to read". Those six who may not even realize how far behind their peers they are. Those six who deserved to have access to supports so that they could learn in ways that actually met their needs.

So while your statistics look good on paper, they are not honest. They do not present the full picture of homeschooling. Listen to the homeschool survivors who were one of those six kids who never got to make their voices heard. We have a voice now - don't try and take it from us.

Resources for current homeschool students and alumni:

Khan Academy - basically free online self paced K-12 classes. They have fantastic explanation videos for the lessons, you can review them whenever you want, and you don't have to stay in the same grade level for every subject - great if you're trying to catch up and you're in 6th grad for English but 2nd for math. They have courses besides just core classes (math/english/science/etc), too! They run on donations, but it's completely free to use. Also, this site is used in my local public school system to supplement the existing curriculum, so it's not just for homeschoolers!

Coalition for Responsible Home Education - actively fighting for more oversight and restrictions on homeschooling in the USA. They mostly do awareness and advocacy, but they also have resources on their site for things like what to do if you don't have a high school transcript. They run on donations, but the information is freely available.

Probably the most famous resource on this list. Videos that give you a "crash course" (aka a condensed overview) of a wide variety of topics. These are best used as supplement to more structured lessons like Khan Academy, but they have a lot of merit on their own if they're all you can manage. Knowing a bit about something is better than knowing nothing about it!

[bluejayadler]

Dead Boy Detectives X Rise of the Guardians

Someone said Charles Rowland as Jack Frost...and Yes. We doing this. Because why not do a DBDa x Rise of the Guardians AU. In Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians are specifically guardians of childhood and different parts of childhood - like Santa is wonder, Sandy is dreams (love the Sandman/Dream references we can easily throw in), Tooth Fairy is memories, Bunny is hope (spring, life, new life). And give me some leeway here, its been a bit since I've looked heavily into the lore of the movie and the books. So I could try to match characters based on personality but we're gonna go by Center - Santa explains to Jack that he protects Wonder because that is his center, and that Jack needs to find his center to know what type of Guardian he is. Spoiler - Jack is Fun.

Now we'll keep Charles as Jack Frost. For a couple reasons - one, it sparked this whole thing. Two, they're stories line up so well! Jack died in a frozen lake! Charles died of hyperthermia from a freezing lake! Its too perfect. Three, I think Charles's center could be fun. And I say could be. The guardians centers are boiled down aspects of childhood - ideal childhood. Charles uses smiles and laughter and jokes to cover his pain. Just as Jack used humor to fight off fear in one of his flashbacks. At the beginning of the movie, we see Jack bringing a snow day and having fun playing with the children, starting a snowball fight, creating an epic sled ride for Jamie. And he's all smiles and laughter. Even after Jamie stops. Jamie crashes and loses a tooth, and all the kids start talking about the tooth fairy...and even then, Jack is still trying to keep the smiles up, keep laughing, keep the game going - Until Jamie walks through him. Then the smile is gone. He's alone. No one to pretend to be happy for. (If you spend 5 minutes analyzing Jack's story in the movie, this children's movie becomes so depressing...worse if you add his book backstory to it. But I'll refrain from that particular angst analysis until requested). Anyhow, so there's Jack. Then there's Charles - "try to be happy for all of us", "Charles is always happy, that's who he is", always a laugh, always a joke, always a smile. And I think part of it is genuine. He's not inventing this facade. He's using that part of him as a shield - hide behind the smile. Charles is always up for a game or some fun. That is a huge part of who he is. That could be his center. It just also is his mask and his shield. Charles dies the same way, for the most part. He protects another boy. Sees the anger in his "friends" and tries to distract them from it - a joke, a laugh, "lets just go play a game". It doesn't work. They chase him into the woods. They chase him on to the ice. The rocks hurt when they hit him, but he thinks, its worse when they hit the ice, when the spiderweb of cracks start to spread. He's under before he can think of how to escape. The ice has resealed over him before he can even try to surface. Charles Rowland dies in a lake. Charles Frost wakes up in a lake. (More of Charles later when we do Edwin).

Next is Niko. Niko I think would be Santa (aka North) (Nicholai/Nicholas Clause - Niko Clause!). Santa's center is Wonder. And I think that would be Niko's too. Plus, the Dandelion sprites could be elves! Two very poorly behaved elves, but still. Niko - miss "I'm very open minded. Niko who followed a story about dandelions bringing luck into a strange forest and ancient rune. Niko who learned the colors of sea glass and found all the local folk tales. Niko who wasn't afraid to find new depths within herself. Niko who jumped feet first into the supernatural world once she saw it - joining two ghost boys and a psychic medium on cases, taking care of two sprite-like maybe-gods that tried to kill her, meeting and showing deference to shapeshifting royalty. I do think it would be cool to see if there are any Japanese myths/folktales that are similar in nature to the Santa Clause mythology. Like, I don't think Niko in this should be the same Santa Clause as in the movie. No, she still needs to be her, so tying in her own culture and folklore/mythology would be a must. Also, Santa Niko leaving little pieces of sea glass for people!!!!!!! To bring them what they need - courage, emotional stability, etc!!! (If we branched outside canon characters, there is also the obvious argument that Niko's center is Love. I don't actually think it is. I think she is fascinated by the concept of love, but that can be tied to Wonder as well. But that's a whole other thing.

Anyhow, on to Crystal. This might be a cop out but Crystal as Tooth Fairy. Toothiana (Tooth Fairy) is the Guardian of Memories - memories of innocent times, of good times, of joy, etc etc. The memories of our childhood that keep us warm and help us feel like things can be okay when they aren't right now. I don't know if this is Crystal's center, but it plays so well into her narrative. Crystal who has her memories taken from her (yes, in the movie, Jack is the one with no memories, but shhhh). Crystal who also has the power to peer into the memories of a person or an item or a place. Crystal who is connected to ancestral memory. Crystal's narrative plays tightly around the importance of memories in who we are, who were were, and who we could be. It isn't everything, and Tooth Fairy knows this. Memories aren't all we are, but they inform who we are. Crystal herself says she doesn't know who she will be once her memories are back but she wants to sort it out. At the same time, she doesn't want her memories to be all she is. And Tooth Fairy collects teeth of children to store their memories, to give them back when needed - to help them remember when needed. Crystal having the power to bring out memories would be amazing. I think there's a fun arc too of that being corrupted a bit. Not for evil (though, if we throw in a David plotline here, maybe), but for good, but misguided good. In the show, Crystal makes Becky Aspen forget the scary things that happened to her. Which is good. However, what if Tooth Fairy Crystal goes too far, believing that in order for her to protect children and childhood, she needs to take the scary and bad memories away. She learns though that she can't do that and that she shouldn't. But it'd be an interesting arc. Like Niko, I also think it'd be cool to look at any African folklore/mythology with similar themes/plots to the tooth fairy. I know there are various tooth fairy folktales around the world - I think in parts of Europe, its a mouse. But also, Crystal could be a fun blend of African folklore and western folktales of Tooth Fairy - her being American but being tied to her ancestral roots.

And now, Edwin. Edwin led me down way too many roads. I have four options for him. 2 for movie canon. 1 for book canon. And 1, lets just throw canon to the wind. The first movie option could be Bunny. I think this fits least of the four, but there's some fun to play with there. Bunny if the Guardian of Hope - new life. Edwin comes back from Hell. And while he doesn't come across as the most hopeful all the time - he had to have a huge amount of Hope in order to escape Hell after 70+ years. He kept trying to escape. He never gave up. He always had that hope - somewhere. And who better than someone who fought against 70+ years of Hell to hold on to hope to become the literal Guardian of Hope, to protect it. Edwin spends his afterlife solving mysteries for ghosts, ensuring they matter, that their deaths aren't waved away like his and Charles's were. Edwin brings hope to his clients - hope for closure, hope for moving on, hope for answers. Hope that they do matter! (God, I love the "we didn't matter" scene!) Plus, I can just picture Edwin having shelves upon shelves of intricately painted and carved eggs (none of the cute live eggs from the movie were harmed int he carving of eggs!). But given how many different cultures have some type of traditional art around carving or painting eggs - like, Edwin would have so many cool ones. The meticulous details put into each on and the knowledge of their origins and meanings! So yeah, Edwin as Easter Bunny COULD work. Not the most intriguing option though.

Now, if we throw canon to the wind, we can say that Edwin's center might be curiosity. There's no list of all the things Guardians can be guardians of, but I think curiosity is a huge aspect of childhood. And I think it's different from wonder. Wonder is fascination and this emphasis on imagination and magical things. It helps North/Santa create his toys. I think curiosity is different. Its a desire to learn, to know, to explore. Its a thirst for knowledge. A hunger for understanding. I think this works well for Edwin who was always reading in life, who takes "meticulous notes", who read detective novels then started a detective agency, who MAPPED OUT HELL! For this, we'd need to find a common children's folktale character that would fit this center. I can't think of one at the moment - though Curious George would be hilarious. I did think of the phrase "curiosity killed the cat" - and having Edwin be some form of cat while considering the Cat King could be somewhere in the narrative is hilarious. There's also the phrase "wise old owl". And I do love the imagery of an owl-Edwin (not as bird-like as Toothiana in the movie). But Edwin with his greys and browns, a touch of blue feathers. A bowtie pattern like Rowlett!!! (gotta work that pokemon AU in). Edwin with his wings folded all proper and prim, perfectly placed like his jacket - his wings even wrapping around him like armor. Edwin who sends out little owls to watch and learn and seek out information like Tooth's fairies seek out teeth/memories. Maybe his owls even watched over Charles, trying to learn about the mysterious boy made of frost. Charles covering Edwin in snow and making a joke about, "Look mate, you're a snowy owl!" I might need this.

Okay, okay, okay, but that was only option 2. And I said there were 4. On to number 3 - book canon. And forgive me in advance, I've not read all the books. My knowledge is through some deep dives years ago when the movie came out. Apologies for any errors. But in the book, there is Mother Goose. I don't know if she is ever fully given the title, but that's the children's character she is based on. She is the Guardian of Stories. Edwin, with his books and detectives stories! Edwin who writes down everything. Edwin who keeps case files. And the comics include the boys "telling" the stories of their cases with the little bits and blurbs from their case notes. Edwin, who found a dying boy, and read to him to bring him comfort! Edwin could easily be the guardian of stories. Katherine (mother goose) is also described as more mature than the other children, closer to adulthood. AND, because narrative is always great to add - in the books, Katherine may or may not be romantically involved with Jack. Well, Nightlight, before he comes Jack Frost (Jack has a very long and tragic backstory in the books!). Nightlight and Katherine are close friends. They're described as having a deep bond, not even needing to talk to know what the other wants/needs/thinks, fearing for losing the other (I think this is mostly Jack worrying about Katherine growing up as at that point, Jack is Nightlight and is not mortal while Katherine is). And Nightlight even gives up being a nightlight (and his immortality) to save Katherine. As if Charles wouldn't give up his existence to save Edwin. So yes, this one plays beautifully.

And the 4th option. My favorite in particular. Going back to movie canon - the last guardian remaining is Sandy, Sandman, Guardian of Dreams. (To review - Charles is Jack Frost, Niko is North/Santa, Crystal is Toothiana/Tooth Fairy, Bunny was already discussed for Edwin but we're setting that aside). I think the same logic that can have Edwin as the Guardian of Hope can apply here, especially adding in the curiosity from Owl Edwin and the love of stories from the Guardian of Stories. Him as Guardian of Dreams would sort of combine all those aspects. Because Edwin does dream. Of a better afterlife. Of loving Charles and being loved. He followed his dream to become a detective and solve mysteries! He is creative and clever and, whether its his intention or not, he does help fight the nightmares and fear - by bringing closure, by solving mysteries, by helping ghosts. (And I think its funny that Sandman captures Pitch with a glowing gold leash/whip and Edwin capture's Meatball with a glowing gold leash.)

But the narrative play is the best! We're gonna bring back the Charles lore for this one. So, Charles and Edwin in general make amazing Guardians of Childhood - because they were robbed of theirs! They were both murdered after all. They both endured Hell - Edwin quite literally, Charles more figuratively. But even before dying, neither had a real childhood, like the "ideal" childhood the guardian protect. Edwin couldn't dream or wonder like he would've wanted to - forced to follow the role laid before him, to hid who he was to fit in and be accepted, not to have emotions. Charles endured abuse at the hands of his own father. And betrayal from his friends. He didn't get to have fun or to dream - not really. These two dead boys who had their childhoods ripped away from them who then turn around to become protectors of others' childhoods. "We didn't matter. So these cases matter. They have to matter." ...One word. Change one word..."We didn't matter. So these children matter. They have to matter." (look, this scene lives rent free in my head.)

Edwin always had the potential to be a Dream. Not that his classmates knew this. Not that any of them knew anything about the guardians and the different creatures that existed not just in their folktales and campfire stories. They certainly didn't know the boogeyman was real - well, real-ish. The King of Nightmares didn't actually call himself the boogeyman. But it was a good enough moniker. Good enough to call him when the group of schoolboys decided to "sacrifice" their classmate. Pitch saw an opportunity and he took it. Edwin was a perfect Dream - and his dreams could easily be made into Nightmares.

Sandman's sand can be corrupted, turned from dream to nightmare. Its the duality of dreams. We see it in Sandman - Dream is responsible for both dreams and nightmares. Both exist in his realm and he rules over both. So Edwin, as a potential Guardian of Dreams, has the potential for both inside him. And just as Esther uses Edwin's pain for power, Pitch would use Edwin's potential dream sand for nightmares, trapping Edwin in an everlasting nightmare to harvest more sand, to build his army of Nightmares. Edwin escapes, eventually - harnesses enough of his own dream sand to find his way out. He manages to destroy enough of Pitch's army, or maybe its timed with the other guardians beating Pitch, that Pitch is simply too weak to come after him right away. But he eventually comes back - Pitch targets Sandman in the movie for a reason. Pitch comes after Edwin again and always will - an endless fountain of dream sand waiting to be corrupted with fear.

Then comes Charles - Charles who can freeze anything. Charles who bears the power of ice and snow and cold. In the movie, Jack basically does the most damage to Pitch consistently - he's not afraid to fight Pitch head on. Charles definitely fights the Nightmare King for Edwin - protecting him at all costs. But there's a duality in Charles, as there is in Jack, as there is in dreams. In the movie, Jack is abandoned by the Guardians - they believe he sided with Pitch, they believe Jack let them down, they believe Jack isn't good enough. "I was never good enough." "I'll make it better." Jack faces Pitch alone and in that fight, Pitch sees the potential for darkness in Jack and tries to recruit him. And why not? Jack was alone for centuries, like Pitch. Jack was abandoned, like Pitch. No one believed in Jack, like Pitch. And as Pitch says, "what goes together better than cold and dark?"

We've all seen the posts - "name a character who didn't deserve what happened to them." "Name a character who could've become the villain but didn't." "Name a character who would've been justified in becoming evil." "Name a character who endured so much pain but stayed kind."

Jack was alone for 300 years, left intentionally alone by the other guardians. He was created, given only a name, and then abandoned. Charles was beaten, abused, betrayed, and murdered. Edwin was bullied, isolated, murdered, and tortured for decades. All three of them could've become the villain and everyone would've looked at them and said "yeah, understandable." They each had the potential, and they each turned away from it. Jack didn't want to be just "cold". He didn't want to be fears. Charles worries about being like his father, about being the bad guy. Edwin doesn't want others to suffer as he did, to be written off as he was.

Pitch/King of Nightmares trying to recruit Charles, Pitch/King of Nightmares corrupting Edwin's dream sand. Playing on the duality of the centers, of their power. The possibility of evil/corruption exists with all their powers/centers. But I think its most obvious with Jack Frost (cold) and with Sandman (dreams/nightmares). So placing both of them in those roles is perfect!

And for the record, I don't think Pitch/King of Nightmares is any of the villains, not even Esther. I think in this, Pitch is every villain, or specifically, every personal villain. When Charles faces Pitch, he sees his father, hears his friend's taunting voices "Charlie boy". When Edwin faces him, its Simon and the others chanting "Mary Ann!". Crystal sees David, feels him inside her mind. Niko sees featureless faces staring at her, feels the emptiness of her father's absence.

Oh, a bit more on Charles as Jack and Edwin as Sandman - imagine, if you will, Charles staring at Edwin as he crafts beautiful magical things with his sand! The beautiful golden glow of the sand so much like lantern light. Charles can't help but be mesmerized. And sometimes, he tries to mimic it - to match Edwin's creations with ones made of ice. Edwin always compliments his skills, of course.

[pesky--dust]

I wanted abigail to be away from hannibal and will’s mess so badly like let her heal omg. It was just weird and off putting bc she was too grown for them to act like that with her.

Fr! I have so many thoughts about this!

(I keep promising myself to write an analysis of Abigail and her relationships with others actually, but I can't bring myself to do it, because it would be a looong post)

Writing as brief as possible for now though:

I believe it would be best for Abigail to remain at the facility, under Alana's care. However, considering G.J. Hobbs and his obsession with his daughter, I understand why she ended up in a rather similar and toxic relationship with Hannibal.

Because let's face it: G.J. Hobbs' love towards Abigail was toxic and victims often don't see these relationships as abusive and yet, they are aware that they shouldn't be speaking about them with anyone; they often tend to ignore all the red flags in current or future relationships.

In Abigail's case, it is tragic because she did not experience such a relationship in her adult life as a fully developed person in a romantic relationship, who grew up in a healthy and loving household, who knew better; she lived in such a relationship from an early age because this was her father - it was his love which was toxic. Having lived this way since childhood, it became the norm for her and living in such an environment changes the way you look at many things.

She may not be fond of Will and Hannibal, but she was already used to the mess. She believed that Hannibal would save her, because after all they were in this together - she killed someone and he helped her to hide the body. If she would end up in jail, he would end up in jail too.

Will's attitude towards Abigail: Did Will love her? No. He thought he loved her. Because he empathized with G.J. Hobbs (which already makes it toxic), blamed himself for failing to save her mother and since he killed her father, she became an orphan. Moreover, he saw her as a victim of G.J. Hobbs, just like himself. Will wanted also to believe that he could be "good" and "normal", by taking care of her; Alana told him that Abigail is a success for him, right? And Hannibal took advantage of all of this to convince Will that they were now responsible for her.

Hannibal's attitude towards Abigail: I think it's complicated. I believe there were several reasons he saved her (I have a post queued on that). He knew from the beginning that she could be useful to him, and when she outright suggested that he be the man on the phone, letting him know that she knew it was him who called her house, he knew he had to keep an eye on her. I won't believe he didn't have to bribe someone to become her guardians along with Will after that.

But I also believe that Hannibal became kind of fond of her. Because saw an opportunity in her. As I wrote in one of the posts, Hannibal could not turn back time to save Mischa. He could turn back time for Abigail; he faked her death and then "brought" her back to life.

The script says he feels genuine sadness when he slits her throat. And I think that's true to some degree, because it turns out he couldn't save Mischa and he couldn't save Abigail from his wrath when Will hurt him. Like a child, he wanted to hurt both Will and Abigail, as much as he felt hurt. It turned out that Abigail was not Mischa; she was Will's Mischa.

She was not truly loved by anyone. She was just a "father's joy" and each of her fathers saw in her what he wanted to see. Hobbs wanted her to remain his little girl. Will wanted to believe that he could be "good" and "normal". To Hannibal, she was a tool, and for a moment he believed she could be the "Mischa" he could save, for Will.

This all made her unable to stay away from the mess.

Of course this answer ended up being longer than I intended, so tl;dr:

Considering G.J. Hobbs and his obsession with Abigail, I understand why she ended up in a rather similar and toxic relationship with Hannibal. Having lived this way since childhood, it became the norm for her.

Will acted this way, because he thought he loved her (he empathized with G.J. Hobbs (which makes it itself toxic), blamed himself for failing to save her mother and killing her father, which made her an orphan; he saw her as a victim of G.J. Hobbs, just like himself. And Hannibal took advantage of all of this to convince Will that they were now responsible for her).

Hannibal's relationship with Abigail is more complicated. When she suggested that he be the man on the phone, he knew he had to watch her. However, I believe he saw an opportunity in her. He could not turn back time to save Mischa. He could turn back time for Abigail; he faked her death and then "brought" her back to life. But it wasn't enough to keep him from killing her, feeling hurt by Will.

She was not truly loved by anyone. She was just a "father's joy" and each of her fathers saw in her what he wanted to see.

[clean-casual-analysis]

Jentry Chau vs the Underworld: Family, Deception, and Consequences

Haven’t seen much analysis/review about this wonderful show, so I’m gonna do my best to highlight one of its best qualities.

The premise is a familiar one. Teenager Jentry Chau has supernatural fire powers that attracts demons from the underworld, her family members have secret pasts, all the while she just wants a normal life. Typical action/adventure/comedy stuff. That’s not what I’m here to talk about. Don’t get me wrong, the action sequences are top notch, the art and animation is gorgeous, and the comedy gets a lot of chuckles out of me. But its greatest achievement to me is the emotional theming and characters. The core meaning and lessons about complicated family dynamics.

I won’t go into spoilers here but these are messy, messy characters. They lie and tell half truths once caught in the lie. They try their best, and their best isn’t always good. They bicker, they take advantage of, and fail eachother. But the source of all that turmoil is a herculean love for their friends and family. I’m reminded of when I was told I was lactose intolerant by my amazing mom when I was young, only for her to say that she kept dairy away from me because of a (probably outdated) study that said autistic people get night terrors from dairy. A relatively harmless lie for me to have a better childhood, but some parental guardians tell more drastic lies. Many of us do what we think is best for our friends, our family, and ourselves despite the risks.

But the consequences can be devastating if we aren’t careful. The truth more often than not reveals itself, which makes the lies sting more. Ego and fear and cause terrible decisions to be made. Thankfully, the show reminds us that we all make mistakes and we are all human. What’s important is fixing what might accidentally break. Emotional honesty, careful and thoughtful decision making, accepting when you’re in the wrong. These are lessons both kids and adults can learn from Jentry Chau. That’s why it’s one of my new favorite animated shows.

[theblueprincess590]

The Protector of Children’s Laughter-An Analysis of Kingdom Heart 3

Sora has assumed many roles throughout the Kingdom Hearts series from, Unlikely Hero, to Knight in Shining Armor, to Fool, but in Kingdom Hearts 3 Sora assumes his most important role, as a Fairy Tale Guardian.This can first be seen in Kingdom Of Corona where Sora Guides Rapunzel throughout her journey and encourages here to see the beauty of the outside world. The main point of the world was to explore how Sora’s role allows him to spread joy to others. Monstropolis further elaborates on Sora as a Fairy Tale Guardian by exploring how his role makes him a protector of children.

The goal of Monstropolis is to protect Boo and get her back home. Fighting the Unversed, putting out the fires, overcoming Randall’s challenges, and traversing the Door Vault, it’s all done for Boo’s sake. However it is not just her physical body that the team strives to protect her heart as well. Throughout the World a special meter known as Laugh Power appears. Whenever this meter appears the mission statement changes from just fighting the unversed and heartless to keeping Boo happy. You must pull out all the stops and defeat the monsters as flashily as possible without letting yourself or Sully get hurt. This is all done for the sake of keeping Boo Happy. Her laughter must be preserved in the face of darkness, not just because it serves as an in-universe power source but because a child should be laughing. No child should ever go through such terror like this, their childhood should never be sullied by the greed of selfish adults. So Sora fights to keep Boo smiling, to keep the memories of terror far away from her heart and to instead give her memories of laughter. 

Even outside of the meter the ideal of preserving Children’s laughter is ever present in the World’s story. Several times throughout the Journey the Gang takes pit stops to cheer Boo up such as when Mike and Sully cover themselves in paint to make Boo laugh or when Sora puts on his iconic silly face. And interestingly enough both of these events have the characters calling back their past. During Mike and Sully’s College years they were humiliated by a group of bullies who covered them in colorful paint. This was one of their lowest moments as their dignity was stripped from them for the sake of a petty joke. And Yet in this moment they reclaim that humiliating memory and use it as a force of good. Willingly covering themselves in pink and blue paint in order to make Boo Smile. The sting of the painful memory now replaced with the child’s joyous laughter. As for Sora’s goofy face this moment calls back to Sora’s first meeting with Donald and Goofy in KH1. When they first meet Sora’s soul was playing a symphony of sadness. The loss of his home and friends dragged his heart down, threatening to drown him in darkness. And so to combat this Donald and Goofy shared their ideals with Sora, telling him that if he wants to come with he has to wear a happy and silly face, explaining that their ship runs on happy faces. And while out of context this may seem harsh, it’s far more than the two just telling Sora to buck up and smile. As disney characters and fairy tale heroes it is Donalds and Goofy’s mission is to not only help others but to make them happy. They can not waste time worrying when people need them, they must traverse the Ocean Between smiling all the way so that others may smile in turn. Sora shows his understanding and acceptance of this ideal by giving his own Goofy smile in turn, Truly becoming a Disney character and fairy tale hero. So when Sora brings this smile back in KH3 we know he is putting on a Brave face for Boo, inspiring her to be courageous and smile in turn, becoming for her what Doanld and Goofy were for him in KH1.

If Sora and Sully are Fairy Tale Guardians Than Randall and Vanitas are Childhood Nightmares. Randal is a selfish egomaniac terrifying children and  preying on the weak simply to validate himself. He rejects the truth that Laughter is more powerful than screams in order to justify his self-serving desire of returning to the old way. He doesn’t care for the safety of his world nor the well being of the children. To him everyone else only exists to stroke his ego. And so he warps Monsters Incorporated into a twisted reflection of its past. A death trap filled with mindless monsters that never think for themselves as they preying upon those that are different from them and machinery that destroys rather creates. Born from sinful pride Randall’s path of fear only serves to reveal the weakness of both his ideology and his true self. The Factory falls apart under Randall’s control. With the Unversed and Heartless free to run wild as they burn down the metaphorical Kingdom Randall lusts for all while the screams Randall gathered fail to power anything of value. Randall himself is shown to be nothing more than a parasite. He never once fights Sora, Donald, Goofy, Sully, and Mike himself, instead choosing to hide in the shadows while letting the Unversed and Heartless do all the fighting for him as he pathetically taunts the heroes or complains when they fail to get the job done. Randall can do nothing for himself because he is fundamentally a coward  who prays on the weak in order to feel like a big man. And in the end Randal is rejected by the world itself as not only does the authority of the world in the form of the CDA Agents oppose him but he is permanently banished from the monster world thanks to Sora’s keyblade, a weapon born from a literal age of fairy tales. For parasites parading as Nightmares have no right to stop children from laughing.

 While Randal was just a weakling parading as a creature of fear, Vanitas is a true walking nightmare. A horror born from the abyss itself, Vanitas seeks only to spread terror and despair. Using Randall’s ego and the Unversed spawned from his maelstrom of hatred Vanitas spreads terror to not just the world of monsters but the countless dreams of all children, he torments them, scarring their very hearts for no reason other than to consume their very screams. Every tragedy in the world is born from his twisted machinations, the torment of the children, the destruction of the factory, and the creation of the Lump of Horror. This is what Nightmares do, they spread misery everywhere they go, feeding off the fears of children to take shape, just like how Vanitas needs the negative emotions of others to take a form. And that is exactly why Vanitas losses at the end of the world. He can only exist through the pain of others whereas Fairy Tale Guardians like Mike and Sully exist for the sake of others. They do not rely on the children for strength but instead are the ones who give children the strength to move forward. And as such Vanitas is powerless against Sully. Even with his body fully restored Vanitas is incapable of fighting back against Sully who effortlessly banishes him from Monsters Incorporated using the Very doors Vanitas abused.

In Contrast to Vanitas and Randall who are punished for their acts of terror against the young, Sora and Sully are rewarded. By protecting both Boo’s innocence they are able to use her laughter to save both their world and themselves. Through the Laugh Power meter they are able to destroy Armies of Heartless and Unversed or restore power to the falling machinery, more importantly near the end of the journey Sora is rewarded with the powerful accessory of the Laugh Pin. A one of the kind item that grants the miraculous ability MP walker which restores MP with every step taken. Ultimately the accessory represents both the courage Sora gave Boo through his goofy face and the power Boo’s laughter gave to Sora. 

In the end while a Fairy tale Guardian’s job is to protect children they can’t keep them safe forever. As Seen by the Unversed malice will always find a way to reach the children and their hearts. Pain is an inevitability of life and while what Randall said about fear remaining sticking with a child is true that is not the end all be all. Hope though weak is eternal and can blossom in any heart is nurtured by Joy. While Mike and Sully can not erase the pain burdened upon them by Vanitas they are more than capable of healing the wounds by continuing to make them laugh every night. For a fairy tale guardian never gives up on the children. They will always be the protector of the light of children, Just like how Sora will continue to protect all hearts in his war against Xehanort.

[violinios]

kind of a Dream analysis?

i don't know how to start this without saying "sorry for my bad english". i'm not confident when writing long texts in english. will include personal visions/headcannons.

i want to talk about Dream's childhood and adulthood more, and how he was also abused by the villagers, yet people think Dream was extremelly loved by them. not only that he was loved, but also that he was one to blame for the events that happened during the apple incident.

there's a difference between Dream feeling guilty for not being able to do anything and him actually having blame for what happened in the village. (cof cof, survivors guilt.)

first of all, can we talk about how Dream and Nightmare were BOTH suffering on the villagers hands, but in different ways? Nightmare wasn't the only victim of the malicious people. let's start with the fact that both carried a burden since they were young. two 6 year old children aren't capable of protecting anything from those who are older and are susceptible to being manipulated by adults.

they took advantage of Dream's naivety, they exploited him and that was extremelly overwhelming. there was no adult in who Dream could actually trust besides Neil, because Dream was the one who had to support everyone else with his help, including the adults, and ended receiving no support back at the end of the day. he is seen as nothing more than an extension of that tree: it only serves to offer you fruits and satisfy your needs. people forget that this tree also has its own needs and act as it will survive and serve them forever (this kind of neglect will be further explored in my second point). this burden they carried on their shoulders made them mature in a younger age than they should actually have matured, but they're still childish enough to not being able to know how to deal with a situation like that. you can't give a child the responsabilities of an adult and expect them to not grown up way too fast, but you can't also expect them to fully understand the task they received and do it correctly.

they both were neglected as children. yes, even Dream was, don't leave him out of this topic. they had no proper education, never had a childhood a normal child would have and were never given anything unless if the villagers wanted to manipulate Dream somehow with gifts and stuff. they didn't actually cared about none of their needs. the only ones who cared about Dream and Nightmare were, well... Dream and Nightmare. yes, Dream DID cared for Nightmare, he was worried for his brother, but as Nightmare got extremelly depressed, he started to isolate himself from Dream and didn't knew how to express his emotions/was trying to protect Dream's feelings. he was naive, yes, but the fandom acts as if he was completely ignorant about Nightmare's suffering, when Dream TRIED to help him, he noticed something was wrong but Nightmare hid it from him. i just don't understand how people are blaming a 6 years old for what happened in that day. i wish people understood that Dream didn't had a good childhood either, and tried to understand his side.

Dream's traumas/the effects the traumas gave Dream during his adulthood are also extremelly overlooked. the neglect from the villagers makes Dream suffer in the future with self-neglect instead as some kind of self-punishment. he has a self-forgetting mindset. the only way he seeks pleasure is by making others feel pleasure too, and the only way to feel satisfaction is through connection with other people. he might feel guilty when he allows himself to feel pleasure, as if he doesn't deserves happiness. why be happy when there are people who need it more than i do? he "forgets" to connect with himself, as if he has no identity when he's alone, as if there's no 'himself', no 'Dream', only the 'guardian of positivity', and this leads him to not knowing how to access his inner self. merging with groups or individuals is the only way he can feel like he's an individual too, because they NEED him, but they don't need Dream by who he trully is, they need a idealized version of Dream. the one that can handle anything and serve them without receiving anything back (that's basically how his relationships with the villagers worked). that's why he doesn't investigate his own feelings, and instead, uses unhealthy coping mechanisms to scape reality on his free time, and i think those are one of the rare moments where he feels like he's getting in touch with himself (even if this is unconciously making him run away from his own feelings and scape trauma).

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

I used to looooathe Glory. I thought her bad mood and constant sass was really annoying; however, I came to realize how a lot of her behavior stems from her abuse. Since then, she has become waaaay more of an interesting character to me.

Kestrel and the other guardians (but mostly Kestrel) always berating her and making her feel useless is probably why she started off as so snappy and pessimistic. She didn't see much of a point in trying to be better because nothing she ever did was good enough to them.

She doesn't show her emotions because crying or getting angry would've made her vulnerable to further abuse from the guardians. Some people find it strange that Glory doesn't seem shaken after using her venom on someone, but with this in mind, I think her cold attitude makes sense. She buries her feelings deep down (she doesn't even like to let her emotions slip through her scale color).

I doooo have to admit that it's little irritating to me that ever since the first arc, pretty much every dragon that isn't a villain automatically adores her? I guess dragons like Snowfall are initially skeptical of her, but they come to admire her pretty quickly. Of course!! It's great that she's finally getting appreciation after a childhood of neglect, but it just feels a bit forced to me.

I also think she becomes a little bland after the first arc, but I think that's because we don't get things from her POV anymore and generally just isn't that involved. As I said before, Glory tends to keep her thoughts to herself. Plus, she's learning the ropes of being a queen, so she's probably trying to be more mature.

Contrary to what a good chunk of the fandom believes (and what I used to believe), Glory definitely isn't a "Mary Sue." Yes, she achieves a LOT, but she is still flawed. Honestly, I think that term is often used just to be sexist :/ But that's a whole different debate.

This is a pretty shallow analysis; Glory is a surprisingly complex character (so are the other DoD tbh). But I don't have the energy to do a deep dive right now 🥲 So yeah. You can still dislike Glory (even with all of that said, I myself still feel kind of neutral about her), but don't brush her off as OP or a Mary Sue or whatever.

.

[kaeyaswifefromsnezhnaya]

We don't need Yugi's flashback because their story has been told for a long time. (an analysis) Part 2.

3. Hakubo and Sumire. Mystery and yorishiro continue. How does this relate to Yugi?

Tsukasa is also a sacrifice to the demon hole in exchange for a wish, also a yorishiro in the form of a human. There is a difference in how Sumire was betrayed against her will, while Tsukasa died of his own free will.

Tsukasa sat alone in Hanako's boundary for a long time, calling for him, but he never came.

Most likely, Tsukasa has not met Amane since the very day of his death, and when he appears in the chapter with donuts, this is really the first time he was able to go free and enter the plot.

Tsukasa, unlike Sumire, is sure that Amane hates him, and does not consider himself significant to him, he is surprised when Amane begins to cry.

Tsukasa is also tired of his existence, he just has some goals that still keep him afloat, but having achieved them, he is just as ready to disappear if it will help others, close to him.

What is so good about Amane, because he is unbearable? Why did Tsukasa and Nene love him so much? Here it is, the irony. Sumire had no options, Nene and Tsukasa still get along with people easier

and nevertheless, love is blind.

Tsukasa is very unrestrained, and probably because he finally got out of prison and can control his and even other people's actions. Tsukasa does not ask to be remembered, but deep down he also wants at least some recognition of his value. Amane also suffers that he acted this way towards Tsukasa, he blames himself a lot, but at the same time also shifts part of the blame to his brother.

After all, it is his fault that he is fake, if everything were different, if Amane had lived a different life, he would not have done this. He, just like Hakubo, did not value the time he spent with his brother, and now he is stewing in his own guilt, while leaving Tsukasa alone in the locked boundary and not answering his call.

4. Aoi and Akane. Close since childhood.

These two were close like twins, growing up together since childhood. Aoi was a shy girl, while Akane was more easily approached by people, and as a result, she remained in his shadow.

At first, they grew up like normal children, and both acted completely normal, until one fateful day came...

The Clock Keepers recruited Akane by threatening to kill Aoi, and thus, he made a contract with them, becoming half-supernatural.

Here, I want to refer to the theory of friend if mine that Aoi died that day and Akane sacrificed his lifespan for her. [But he doesn't remember it. Come to think of it, the flashback abruptly ends with "do you want to gain the power to control time?", continuing the story from the perspective of an unreliable narrator - Akane. I say "unreliable" because it was easy for him to have his memory erased, or even have some of his memories fabricated.

It's worth remembering that the senior guardian can actually rewind time, deleting unnecessary memories. And I don't believe that the guardians of the clock choose a third one for fun. They probably have some kind of selection criteria. Besides, Akane is literally half supernatural, and I don't think that will go unnoticed. Most likely, his days are numbered, like Yashiro's. Maybe he wasn't supposed to die in the first place, but he probably sacrificed his lifespan to correct a terrible misunderstanding. He thinks that after graduation he will simply stop being a guardian of the clock and return to his normal life, but what if everything is played out in such a way that he does not remember the first and most important point of his contract: in exchange for Aoi's life, he gave up his future?]

Also, Akane is very traumatized by what happened. I already said that the reason why he clings to Aoi so madly could be his trauma that day. Just like how Tsukasa got fixated on the idea of "knowing more about Amane" because he discussed it before Kou traumatized him with his revelation, Akane got fixated on the idea of "enjoying the time spent with Aoi and confessing my love to her because I love her and want to be with her" because he also talked about it with Aoi before the Guardians put her in danger.

That's why he doesn't act like a normal person anymore, and that's why he's becoming less and less like his calm younger self. Akane made a contract with a supernatural in exchange for the life of a loved one and became half supernatural, changing internally, but mostly because of the trauma and fear of losing Aoi rather than the effects of the supernatural specifically.

The boy who came back to Aoi after that day was a slightly different person. He acted differently and hid a lot of things, and that's why there was a distance between them that grew wider as the years went by. This isn't an "Akane is hiding something" level problem, it's an "Akane has really changed a lot" level problem.

So Aoi, who was initially comfortable around him, starts to feel weird. She stops being playful and teasing around him like she used to because Akane has become so obsessed with the idea that she's slowly starts pushing him away.

Eventually, the tension reaches a breaking point and Aoi is pushed to such a stalemate that she lays hands on the person closest to her, Akane, because she thinks that will solve her problem.

Continue in the next post 🙌🏻

Part 1

[rebo-chan]

HI GUYS!!!!

In an attempt to pump some positivity into our little tag. I've had a bit of a rough week and in late celebration to our protagonists birthdays passing by earlier this week. I wanted to kinda go around and see what we got in terms of love for this series. I wrote something for Tsuna's birthday that really gutpunched me and like..Its serious yall. I'm here for LIFE.

So, devoid of any criticism towards the series, it's all love around here. What are your favorite aspects of this series? Anime, manga, stage play, novels, characters, fandom, etc. Anything goes. I just want to know what keeps you all around? Let me hear it, my friends. Why do YOU stay?

I'll go first.

I love the found family aspect, each and every single bond of the series is so heartwarming to me. These people feel like family, and everytime I consume the series, I notice a new aspect about their friendships.

The anime!!! The anime is really really important to me. Every voice actor, every OST they add, every little flavor scene they add to extend a manga chapter to fit the anime time. I adore it. The anime directors brought this series to life, and its so full of love.

Flames, flames, flames. I love them so much. The color-codedness? The Vongola Guardian characteristics? It feels me with such a childhood level of whimsy.

Tsuna's character arc. Just. That is so deeply relatable, I can't even.... God, i love him.

The!! character songs!! (again, thank you anime producers. For Rebocon, for making the character songs, for everything!!)

Our silly character numbers. To the outsiders, it looks like morse code, and it makes us feel like a community talking in secret to one another. The KHR fandom club.

In terms of fandom, I love love love love love AUs, as well as canon-adjacent of course. But, this cast is so colorful. Let me yoink them and put them in a new place and watch them fuck around. (Amen to monster tamer, our canon AU)

And of course, I love the character analysis posts we get around here. I have deep respect for those who can make little meta posts. Shoutout to hopeswriting, I won't tag her but gosh. Some of the most fun conversations I've had in my life. As well as a number of people I've met along the way. You guys are!! amazing!! Thank you for all the conversations, they've driven me so so insane!!!

And that's my list :] And now, I toss the question back to the rest of you all. Why, who, or what do you love?

[antmightpost]

A Character Analysis on Megumi Fushiguro from a Jungian perspective- The Shadow

"Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify all that is impure"

Megumi has been consistently portrayed as someone who really struggles with his self worth or his sense of self but there have been instances when he starts behaving in a really confident and assertive manner.

In order to better understand Megumi we need to look at his background. He was basically raised by Tsumiki with Gojo acting as his guardian at times. At a time when a child's personality develops, he had to make a deal with Gojo to work as a Sorcerer in exchange for Tsumiki's safety.

As a child, he had to come to terms with the idea that his father is somewhere out there but he has been abandoned by him when we know this wasn't the case. Toji did his best to look out for Megumi but he couldn't be close to him because he was fearful of the type of influence he would be on Megumi.

When Gojo tried to tell Megumi about his father, he himself stopped Gojo, acting as if it doesn't matter but that's a literal child, why wouldn't it matter, yet he refrained from trying to know the truth about Toji out of fear. Fear of what if the truth is even worse than being abandoned by his own father.

What did the most damage to Megumi was hearing from Gojo that Toji kept him hidden from the zenins to use him as a trump card against them as if he was just a commodity with value , who he is , is just about what is the value of his technique. His own potential crushed him, in a sense took his childhood away from him and halted his personal development.

Even Gojo mostly interacted with him in a manner where it looked like he is more worried about Megumi not being strong enough than trying to understand and talk to him about who Megumi is and who he wants to be which isn't because Gojo didn't want to , he just didn't knew how to. Gojo met Megumi at a time when he himself lost all sense of his identity and didn't knew how to relate and understand others on a deep personal level.

THIS led to the creation of the biggest divide between the persona (ego) and the unconscious (shadow) in Megumi's psyche. The mask that Megumi wears to face the society stored all the aspects of his personality that he doesn't deem good or worthy in his shadow, including his 'Potential' and feelings which is why Megumi looks so emotionally detached from everything . He has locked up his emotions in his shadow, he tries to rationalize everything without accounting for the feeling behind it and thats why his "instincts" are dull.

Megumi's persona Megumi's shadow It's because he felt like an empty vessel with a technique that he objectified the only person he looked up to, Tsumiki. He viewed her more as someone whose goodness and purity needs to be protected than as an individual, he didn't let her reach him, himself acknowledged how immature he was, all a result of the deeply traumatized 'inner child'.

It's interesting how inner child was also used for a character who was introduced during Megumi's colony fight, Takaba. Both Megumi and Takaba ignored the "inner child" within them, except with Megumi, his ignorance is the result of an absence of childhood.

Megumi's fixation on saving Tsumiki got to a point where his own shadow took Tsumiki's form or this could actually be Tsumiki's own shadow that is connected to Megumi. The Shadow that influences him yet he isn't aware of its existence.

What Megumi is going through is described as "Dark night of the soul" in philosophical terms. It is the longest and darkest night of the soul where the soul is at its lowest, the will to exist ceases, however it is also the moment where divine light shines above oneself to guide them out of their suffering (How Gege depicted Megumi's condition). I think it's important that Megumi's birthday is on 22nd Dec ( winter solstice) the longest night of the year which in Japanese is called 'Toji' . Perhaps some intentionality on Gege's part to show how Toji is the core of Megumi's trauma.

Dark night of the soul But what lies ahead ? I believe the process of 'Individuation' , theorized by Carl Jung it's the process by which a person achieves psychic wholeness, recognizing his innermost uniqueness and he identified this process with becoming one's own self Or Self realization. It's the merging of the Persona and the Shadow

A personal "Merger" of sorts in Jjk's context and i believe Megumi's arc had already been foreshadowed in chap 47 through the introduction of 'Totality'. The 2 divine dogs represent the dual aspects of Megumi's Self. The White Divine dog is the Ego or Persona, first the ego dies but it doesn't disappear , it dissolves into the existing shadow (Black Divine dog), merging with it to create the 'whole' of SELF 'with no boundaries' between the Ego and his Shadow (Fate)

Totality (Individuation or merger of Persona and Shadow)

Ego death The shadow self In order to find his life , Megumi first needs to lose it. He needs to bring forth his Deepest shadows and stop suppressing them because the True self is not Black and White, it's a hint of Grey. It's not just Tsumiki or Yuji who are good and pure , His own shadow that he deems evil has purity as well This personal merger is the route to 'Love' , Love of the self. To stop ignoring the inner child and his own shadow that Megumi has suppressed constantly . To stop looking for Logic behind everything as he is a human, we value our feelings, they are our fuel.

The dormant feelings that need to be realized and this is where Yuji comes in. When he says he wants to save Megumi , it's not because of Megumi's value or his technique, it's because he genuinely cares about who Megumi is and wants him to grow out this personal nightmare.

This can lead to Megumi conversing with his shadow and realizing that people do care about him and he needs to show the same care to his shadow and let it invoke the feeling within him Ultimately Megumi is a product of this 'cycle of curses', being the son of Toji who was himself deeply traumatized and Gojo being his guardian who himself was never whole. Gege always tries to explore the Self, the person that was Satoru Gojo, the person that is Megumi Fushiguro, not "the Strongest" or "The wasted potential"

This is why I think Gege has masterfully constructed Megumi's character in a real subtle manner. He never really talks about himself or how he feels and that leads to a big chunk of the fanbase paying no attention to who he is as a character and only focusing on his potential which is Megumi's EXACT problem. What's interesting is that i always thought of this sort of individual merger for Megumi's arc but now he holds the keys to the completion of the merger between Tengen and Non Sorcerers in Japan as well . Gege always knows what he's doing !!