#he doesn't want them to die! this desire for them to live is so strong that well. the above happens)

[thereareeyesinsidethetrees]

only other post for today

i keep thinking about ford that comes back through the portal wrong, but in the sense that he accidentally destroyed the axolotl and is now The Multiverse

he can completely wipe people out of existence if he wants (but he doesn't, cause. why would he. bill's already dead at this point, so he has no reason to ever go that far). this is a very big deal for him- what if he accidentally erases stan? or mabel or dipper? or fiddleford? or anyone really? he is not a fan of the idea of this happening, so he tries his best to focus on smaller changes to his environment

mabel says she wants yarn or a specific stuffed animal? bam, she's got it in her arms. dipper wants to chase after a highly dangerous anomaly? bam, every instance of that anomaly is completely docile towards him and, just in case, ford's gonna go with him so he can make sure no other anomalies ambush him while they're studying the now harmless creatures they set out to find

he also uses this to mess with stan (ford knows stan gets annoyed at worse and, thus, is safe to do this with. he made sure his brother was well aware of all that he could do beforehand)

for example, a situation where ford is explaining why different species have different blood colors and how that works etc. etc. and stan asks if clear blood is a thing. ford pauses before going 'now it is'. stan has no idea what he means until he accidentally nicks himself on a taxidermy project later that day and discovers that his blood is transparent. ford chuckles and turns it back (plus heals the wound cause hey that wasn't meant to be part of the joke so it doesn't get to stay), no harm done (except gaining stan's ire for the rest of the day)

when he asks stan to sail, stan asks him if he's going to conjure up a boat. ford says no, and that he's actually hoping to keep the reality warping to a minimum, since he wants the trip to be as authentic as possible. stan agrees to get their hands on a boat the normal way, and ford reserves the bending of space-time for serious wounds and illnesses

(stan asks him to help fix an issue with the stanleymobile once. ford tells him there's nothing he can do. stan argues back that 'you can wipe entire dimensions out of existence, but you can't fix a car?'. ford tells him he doesn't know anything about cars, so yeah. stan's completely right about that.)

that's all the thoughts i have on that for now (and for the entire rest of today and maybe tomorrow and maybe the day after tomorrow too. of course, i'll have to do the next round of the tourny pretty soon, but that shouldn't be an issue, i think. i can just post everything and then nope out as soon as i'm done)

[linkspooky]

ONCE MORE, I THINK I'LL LIVE FOR OTHERS

So of all the characters in Jujutsu Kaisen Megumi has turned out to be one of the most controversial and hotly debated characters. There's nothing the internet hates more than a boy with trauma, I guess. Jujutsu Kaisen is a controversial work in general so it's not surprising that the ending wasn't super well received by the fans, especially in the way it decided to conclude Megumi's character arc.

There are many people accusing Gege of giving Megumi no character development. Of Megumi just choosing to replace Tsumiki with Yuji. Lots of complaints about Megumi never finishing his domain expansion among other things. Of Megumi being nothing more than a damsel for Yuji to rescue in the end. I'm here to say I think Megumi does have a complete character arc even if it didn't end the way I would have liked, and under the cut I'll be giving my thoughts for Megumi's ending and JJK's ending in general.

I CAN ONLY SAVE THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED TO BE SAVED

If you were to ask me what the most important arc in Jujutsu Kaisen is, it would be Hidden Inventory. Hidden Inventroy covers the inciting incident which leads to all the conflicts in the main story, Riko's death, Geto's defection, Tengen's merger failing, and Gojo's decision to adopt Megumi.

However, it also shows us what motivates Gojo in the main series, mainly his desire to raise this generation of students into strong and intelligent allies because of his inability to save his closest friend when it most counted.

If the quote that summarizes the central theme of Jujutsu Kaisen Zero is "Love is the most twisted curse of them all."

Then I put forward that the quote that summarizes the theme of the main series is what Gojo said to Yaga post Geto's defection, "Being strong isn't enough, I can only save those who are prepared to be saved."

Just like Hidden Inventory is centered around Geto and Gojo's relationship in their youth, the main manga itself centers around Megumi and Itadori's relationship. The manga itself starts with their first meeting. Yuji devours the finger in order to try to help Megumi. Megumi requests Gojo help save Yuji from execution because he didn't want to see another good person die.

Megumi and Itadori are also a deliberate parallel to Geto and Gojo's friendship in the past. To begin with Gojo tried to nurture these relatoinships in his students so they COULD get along and enjoy their youths the way he remembers doing so with Geto in his three springtime of youth.

He not only encourages Megumi to selfishly try to save Yuji even though it is against the rules of sorcery and poses a risk to other people, he also encourages them to socialize at every opportunity.

The strong and intense friendship that Megumi and Yuji enjoy is not only a clear parallel to Geto and Gojo's special connection with one another, but also the fact that a strong reocurring motif in Megumi and Yuji's friendship is their strong desire to save each other. Which is a clear parallel to Gojo's inability to save Geto in the past.

As I said for a long time Yuji and Megumi were being set up as this generation's version of the "strongest duo" except they were going to be able to break the cycle. Whether it be by Megumi saving Yuji, or Yuji saving Megumi, they wouldn't be driven apart by the corruption in the Jujutsu World the way that Geto and Gojo were.

As I said the central question of Jujutsu Kaisen especially in regards to Megumi and Yuji's friendship is if it's possible to save someone who doesn't want to be saved. Which is why Megumi and Yuji both wanting to save each other is something that happens again and again at different parts of the manga. Whether it be the ending of Origin of Obedience where Megumi and Yuji are both unable to talk to each other because they want to try to protect the other from information that might harm them. Megumi hiding the fact that he knows resonance between the Sukuna fingers awakened the curses. Yuji hiding the fact that Megumi's decision to save Yuji has caused strong curses to awaken and kill other people.

Just as often as these two try to save each other, they fail. Megumi watches Yuji die early on when Yuji takes back control from Sukuna and decides to die without a heart.

Megumi spends the entirety of the culling games clinging to Yuji's side no matter how Yuji tries to push him away because he knows Sukuna has plans for him. However, Megumi is afraid to leave Yuji alone because he knows Yuji is in a dark place after the Shibuya massacre and that if he's left alone Yuji might just find some way to off himself in a heroic sacrifice to try to atone for the people lost at Shibuya.

Only for Megumi's insistence on clinging to Yuji to backfire because Sukuna ends up taking his body from him in a critical moment. When Sukuna takes his body their circumstances swap and Megumi is the one who's body is being used to kill people by Sukuna. When Megumi has to live with the guilt of Sukuna using his body to kill both his sister and his teacher, he's not able to live with it anymore.

Then their positions swap completely and it's Megumi who wants to die to atone for the guilt, and it's Yuji who doesn't want to let go of Megumi and will do anything to save Megumi from both Sukuna and the other sorcerers even if the right thing to do is just kill both him and Sukuna and letting him live means putting the whole rest of the world at risk.

As you can see not only is saving each other a common theme of Megumi and Yuji's relationship, but at different points of the story both of them are trying to save the other even when the other doesn't value their own life.

Gojo's relationship with Geto is defined by his inability to reach his friend in time, and how he was "left behind" in the end.

Gojo explicitly waited a year after learning about Megumi being sold to the Zen'in clan to do anything, and only decided to intervene after Geto's defection. Gojo's decision to mentor Megumi was inspired by Geto leaving. He even said "Don't get left behind."

His hope in taking in students like Megumi, Yuta and Yuji was twofold first that he'd be able to handpick and raise several strong students who would eventually replace the elders and reform the Jujutsu World. The second and more personal motivation is that he wanted these students to be able to support each other and be strong allies to one another so they wouldn't end up alone like Gojo did in his youth.

Gojo's intentions were good however, Gojo has a very flawed understanding of how people and relationships work. In Gojo's books "strong=good" and almost everything can be solved by strength. Notice just one chapter ago Gojo said that being strong wasn't enough, he can only save those who are prepared to be saved and yet one chapter later he tells Megumi that he needs to get strong otherwise he'll be left behind.

So, even when Gojo knows that being strong isn't enough and didn't make a difference with Geto, that's still the only real advice he can offer Megumi.

A big theme of Jujutsu Kaisen is the failures of the past generation affecting the present. A lot of people in trying to put Gojo on a pedestal fail to realize one of the central themes of this manga is GOJO WAS WRONG. The way Gojo went about doing several things wasn't the right way. Gojo wants the next generation to succeed him and do better than him, because Gojo himself knows that he was wrong and he's a part of the past generation.

I think a big part of the reason the conclusion to Megumi's character arc is poorly received is that Megumi didn't end his arc the way that Gojo set out for him.

Scenes like this led the audience to believe that Megumi's character arc was going to be completed by him learning to be more selfish and living up to the potential that Gojo saw in him. That we were going to get a completed domain expansion. That Megumi was going to become stronger than Gojo because the ten shadows was the only technique to ever beat a wielder of the limitless and the six eyes.

I understand wanting to see Megumi living for himself, and how cool it might be to see Megumi's complete domain expansion after Gege teased us with this twice but I have to ask this.

If Gojo was the strongest sorcerer in the world, and that still wasn't good enough to save Geto. Then how would Megumi reaching his full potential as a sorcerer in any way help Megumi avoid making the same mistakes that Gojo did?

HAVEN'T WE HAD ENOUGH OF GOJO SATORU

I think a lot of dissatisfaction in Megumi's character development comes from he didn't really follow the path that Gojo set out for him. He didn't unlock his full domain expansion, he didn't learn to live more selfishly. They say that Megumi simply choosing to live for Yuji isn't him learning to stand on his own two feet because he's just hinging his self worth on someone else the same way he did with Tsumiki.

However, I have to ask.

How exactly would Megumi becoming more like Gojo or more like Sukuna be any better?

A big recurring theme in Megumi's arc is his lack of agency, and how many different adult figures have tried to mould him to their own selfish ends.

In the same chapter where Megumi has the flashback where Gojo encourages him to become more selfish, Sukuna has his hands wrapped around Megumi's neck in the colored page. Sukuna was never actually trying to mentor Megumi.

He only had an interest in Megumi because his ten shadows techniques was a way to bypass Gojo's infinity. Henever actually cared about Megumi reaching his full potential. He was grooming Megumi in the long term so he could snatch his body and turn him into a weapon against Gojo Satoru. The same way that Gojo only decided to take Megumi in and mentor him in the first place because his technique meant he had great potential as a sorcerer and a future ally in Gojo's crusade against the elders.

Megumi's life is defined by every adult in his life trying to mould him or use him selfishly for his own gains. His father sold him to the Zen'in clan for gambling money and abandoned him. Gojo only was interested in a strong ally against the elders. Sukuna is just one in a long line of people who are trying to shape Megumi into something he's not for their own selfish desires.

Ngl, the fushiguro girlies are kinda onto something with their characterization of Sukuna’s possession as the physical embodiment of his lifelong struggle for self determination and autonomy and how others have always pupeteered his fate for their own devices and he’s thusly never put himself first ─ his selfishness functioning ultimately as platitudes which still center others and his consideration for them. [SOURCE]

So if all of Megumi's various abusers have tried to make Megumi into something he's not and robbed him of his agency in the process, then is the best ending for Megumi really to become more selfish like Gojo or Sukuna?

If Megumi ended his character arc by using a complete domain expansion, and reaching Gojo's level of power wouldn't that be validating the way Gojo stole Megumi's entire childhood from him in order to make him a strong sorcerer. Wouldn't it look like the narrative was going, yeah, it was wrong for Gojo to groom Megumi like that, but look how strong it made him!

We already have a version of Megumi who learned to live only for himself, someone who broke the chains of fate and became entirely free.

Toji shows us a version of Megumi who lived up to his full potential as a sorcerer, became someone strong enough to threaten Satoru Gojo, and who put himself above everyone else and... Toji's fucking miserable.

Toji is the bad ending of Megumi. He's strong but that's all he is. The narration refers to him as a puppet of carnage, only living to fight the strongest around. In fact, Toji dies BECAUSE he wanted to feel validated as the strongest. The decision to say and fight against Gojo when Gojo unlocks reverse cursed technique leads to his death. Being the strongest and his desire to be validated as someone strong is nothing more than a curse for Toji and what allows him to escape the cycle is not strength, but rather seeing that his son has succesfully escaped the abuse of the Zen'in clan.

So having Megumi live up to his full potential as a sorcerer, or living selfishly the way that Gojo or Sukuna wanted him to wouldn't really be breaking the cycle, because it'd be Megumi acting the way his abusers wanted him to act. If anything it' be Gojo's long term grooming of Megumi finally succeeding.

I understand that Megumi fighting back on Sukuna from within with one use of ten shadows to create a puddle underneath Sukuna's feet isn't the most dramatic way to signal his journey of self-realization, but sometimes the flashy, dramatic, and satisfying thing isn't always the right thing.

if the central relationship of the series is Megumi and Yuji, and the central question of that relationship was "is it possible to save someone who doesn't want to be saved-" then resolving both Megumi and Yuji's character arcs requires answering that question. That's the most important part. How are we going to break the cycle and have Megumi and Yuji save each other in a way that Geto and Gojo weren't be able to.

Yes, I understand wanting Megumi to be his own person and stand on his own two feet, but before he's a person Megumi is a fictional character. Megumi and Yuji are characters intentionally designed to be each other's other half. The same way that Geto is designed to be the other half of Gojo. They both represent a yin / yang pair. They both represent the shadow and the light, the sun and the moon.

People also talk about wanting Gojo to learn to be his own person outside of Geto, but that's also missing the point. Gojo isn't a person to begin with he's a character designed to be the other half of Geto. All of those parallels that exist between them, both of them getting their bodies stolen from them, both of them becoming monsters (geto slaughtering the village, Gojo slaughtering the elders), both of them dying on the same day. Those are intentional, because they're fictional characters meant to represent the concept of yin and yang and balance. Gojo cannot exist without Geto, Geto's body causes Gojo to get boxed, Gojo dies within a year of killing Geto, because they're meant to represent the taoist concept of BALANCE in a manga that's about BALANCE. Gojo cannot achieve balance with the character that symbolizes his yin. Whereas, Megumi's way of achieving balance is to find a way to make things work with his other half Yuji in a way that Geto and Gojo failed to.

As someone who used to be the biggest Megumi Corruption Arc truther, I've come around in my thinking and I can at least understand why Gege didn't go that direction. Megumi learning to be selfish like Gojo would be changing too much of Megumi's inner nature, because as much as Megumi pretends to be selfish as an excuse he still is someone who wants to help people.

There's nothing wrong with Megumi wanting to help people, or wanting to be a team player. It was Megumi deciding to hinge his entire self worth on just his ability to help one person. It's why he couldn't go on when Tsumiki died, not just because he was grieving his sister, but because he decided to make protecting his sister his entire reason to live and genuinely saw no other reason to keep on living.

A lot of people say that Megumi is just deciding to make Yuji into an emotional crutch the same way he once did with Tsumiki, however, I don't think these lines of dialogue really indicate that.

"The world is full of people besides myself. Once more I think I'll live for others."

To begin with, Megumi says that the world is filled with lots of people. Megumi didn't want to go on because he didn't think he'd ever love someone as much as he loved his sister. That there was nothing in the world worth living for if his sister was gone.

However, now Megumi is acknowledging that there are more people in the world than just Tsumiki. That he might come to love them the same way that he loved her. That he shouldn't give up on life just because he lost one person, no matter how important that person was.

Megumi's words run contrary to the idea that he's just going to use Yuji as his next living emotional crutch, because he says the world is full of people. There's more people than just him, there's more people than just Yuji, as long as Megumi makes the choice to continue living then he can go out into the world and meet them.

Jujutsu Kaisen is a very individualist manga, and I understand we also exist in an individualist society so we want to see Megumi stand on his own two feet and live for himself, but I don't think Megumi deciding he'll live for others is a bad thing. This is just a few chapters after Yuji said that what makes life meaningful is the memories you leave behind with other people. Which is the exact same sentiment.

Yuji is able to break free from the cog mindset when he realizes that all the people he connected to in his life gave his life meaning, even if they died tragically, even if he only knew them for a short time. Choso's final words are "Thank you for being my little brother" and that connection was incredibly important even though they only knew each other for about a month. Yuji's life became meaningful because he went out into the world and made all these important connections.

Now Megumi is doing the same thing. He's resolved that even though his sister is dead the world is full of people he can connect with. That he can come to love other people the same way that he did. That his life is still worth living because he can find new people to love. Is Megumi deciding he can try to live for the other people in his life and his connection to those people even after the loss of his sister made him feel like his life is worthless and he'll never love anybody that way again, really that different from Yuji deciding that the people he made connections too gave his life value?

Jujutsu Kaisen lifts from other manga, this is pretty common knowledge. Killua and Shinji Ikari are probably the two biggest inspirations for Megumi and both are two very passive characters who are entirely reactive. They don't decide, they don't act, they react to the decisions of people around him.

Killua's ultimate moment of character development isn't beating his abusive big brother, or his abusive parents in a physical fight after getting a power up. Killua's greatest moment of character development is accepting Nanika as a part of Alluka. Something he was too afraid to do because it would mean that his family would continue to try to exploit Alluka for her wish granting abilities.

Killua finishes his arc with the resolution to protect both Alluka and Nanika from the rest of his family. Considering that Killua has been centering his entire self worth around his usefulness to Gon by this point you could call it Killua is just replacing Alluka with Gon as a crutch if you were cynical. Or you could just say that Killua, like Megumi is someone who lives for their loved ones and finds value in the bonds he makes with other people.

Shinji Ikari spends the entire 26 episode run of Neon Genesis Evangelion not making a single decision, and his final moment of character development isn't really that much character development. He simply makes the decision to reject instrumentality and try again. To go back to the real world and try to be a person in the world again, because as long as you're alive there's still a chance to be happy.

Megumi like Killua, never really changes. It's in Megumi and Killua's nature to be a protector / a nurturer. They want to take care of the loved ones in their lives. Megumi and Shinji both have an arc where it takes the entire anime / manga to take the very first step. Their arc is there to depict how hard it can be to take that first step on the journey to change when you're as traumatized as someone like Shinji or Megumi.

Megumi's arc especially is about him making his very first decision in the whole manga. As I said the central question of Megumi and Yuji's relationship is can you save someone who doesn't want to be saved and Yuji eventually finds you that you can't.

Yuji's greatest moment of character development and empathy for Fushiguro is realizing he can't force savlation on Fushiguro if Megumi doesn't want it. He can't force Megumi to live. He can't just tell Megumi to be stronger.

In doing so Yuji does something that no one has ever done to Megumi in his life, and offered him a choice. Gojo expected Megumi to be as strong as him and saw him as a mini-gojo never once taking his opinion into the matter. As I said above Gojo sees being strong as the soliution to all of life's problems. His adivce to Megumi was don't be weak, otherwise you'll be left behind.

Yuji allows Megumi to be weak. He says that Megumi doesn't have to be strong and suck it all up. The metaphor of Yuji and his grandfather works well to show how Yuji truly understood Megumi in a way Gojo never did. Gojo expected Megumi to be as strong as him. Gojo encouraged Megumi to grow up into another Gojo. Gojo failed to understand Megumi in many ways because he wasn't Gojo, and enjoy Jujutsu and being a sorcerer the way that Gojo did.

Yuji relates the story of his grandfather rejecting chemo treatment. At the time he didn't understand why his father would refuse the treatment just because it was painful, because Yuji being young would have been very easily able to handle the pain. However, after Yuji went through trauma and started dealing with suicidal ideation in the aftermath of Shibuya he understood why some people wouldn't want to keep fighting.

Yuji knows what it's like to be weak and want to give up so he doesn't want to force Megumi to be strong. Gojo projected himself onto Megumi and expected Megumi to always be strong and to love Jujutsu like he did, and didn't understand the ways Megumi was different than him. Yuji on the other hand accepted Megumi for who he was with those words, even though Megumi was weak and didn't want to continue living Yuji didn't crticize him he accepted that Megumi was different from him. He accepted the fact he didn't really understand Megumi's pain. He validated Megumi's pain and didn't try to dismiss it.

This parallel to Gojo and Megumi's first meeting is so important, because Gojo showed up in that child's life only to exploit him. While Yuji gave Megumi a choice. Even if it meant that Yuji would be lonely and heartbroken, he still gave Megumi a choice on whether or not he wanted to live.

In the end Yuji gave Megumi a choice, and Megumi made that choice to keep living. Just like Shinji, Megumi's entire character arc was just leading him up to taking the first step on his journey. Just like Shinji, Megumi's entire arc is defined by his choices being taken away from him but the very first choice he makes is his most important one: the choice to live.

So yes, a Megumi corruption arc would have been really cool but I think the answer of "You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved, but you can still love them" is a beautiful one.

[lassieposting]

Concept:

You are Bhaal, god of murder, and someone is praying to you.

And that's not necessarily unusual. Lots of people pray to you, usually for the untimely death of a rival, an ex-spouse, an overseer. The prayer itself is a small and broken thing, bloody and raw, whispered by a man whose vision is dulled by agony and the dark spectre of approaching death. The pathetic not-quite-survivor of some rather brutal torture, wishing murder upon his captor. You take a moment to enjoy the fear, the pain, the suffering - and then you tune him out. There are millions like him, and your favour is for those willing to do their killing themselves. Besides, that wretch will be nothing but a corpse all too soon.

Except...he doesn't die. You never feel that timid little spark of existence stutter and go out. Far beyond the breaking point of a mortal body, this one lingers on, clinging to being with fingers all but stripped back to bare bone.

It's intriguing enough to warrant a second look and - interesting. The prayer comes from a vampire, a pretty little corpse becoming an even prettier corpse under the skilled hand of a cruel master.

It is not in your nature to intervene. You favour the strong, not the weak. The master, not the slave. Your first instinct is to leave the wretched little thing to his fate.

But the thing is. Your child - your favourite child, shaped from your own flesh, coldest and most brutal of your progeny - has gone and got a boyfriend.

And you don't like him.

You don't like the effect he's having on your chosen, the way they're becoming distracted, attached, less devoted to their true purpose. And right now, your nature takes a back seat to your desire to get rid of that smug, arrogant little Baanite whelp, Enver Gortash. Your granddaughter's spiteful machinations have given you an opening, but you know they're bound to run into one another eventually, and it will all start over.

The vampire is beautiful. Well-trained. Accustomed to brutality. Already purged of sympathy and compassion, eaten up inside by hatred and bitterness and harm. And immortal; able to survive the worst of your son's inclinations. At this point, he'll do.

So you redirect a nautiloid. It's not that you're showing the creature any favour - it's just pragmatism, really. He is simply a tiny piece of a very large puzzle.

And then you watch.

You watch the vampire take the spectacular murder of a young bard in stride.

You watch him identify your memory-addled, sanity-challenged offspring as the most dangerous one in their sad little group of unwashed tragedies - the strongest protector, the solution to his fear of being discarded or returned to his master.

You watch him expertly lure your progeny into a pit trap of sex and lies and manipulation, dressed up with honeyed words and an exaggerated performance of desire.

Your child comes face to face with Enver Gortash and remembers nothing - feels nothing. They only have eyes for Astarion, and you are filled with satisfaction. The vampire is pathetic and fearful now, but already he plans to take over his master's ritual, and then he will be perfectly placed to feed your child's very worst impulses, to bring out the sharpest edge of the darkness inside.

You watch the vampire say, "I want us to be real."

You watch your child happily become a glorified comfort blanket, your masterwork living weapon reduced to little more than a prey animal, a do-gooder, a sacrifice.

Watch them vow, "I will be the person you see in me."

Watch them talk the blasted creature out of going through with the ritual at all.

Watch them start fighting their own nature for the pantomime love of someone else's broken toy.

Watch them turn on you.

And you decide, with the benefit of hindsight, that Enver Gortash was not that bad, actually.

[fairyhaos]

☆ choi line + “i would ___ for you” ultimatums

txt members : yeonjun, soobin, beomgyu

info : 540 words, angst, mentions of blood + death

notes : i was jus thinking how yeonbingyu are such reckless romantics + how they'd act in dystopian, life-and-death kinds situations... and this devastating idea was born <3

☆ choi yeonjun

yeonjun would be the “i would kill for you” ultimatum. he's desperate and angry and so full of the desire for vengeance that he would murder anyone who's in the way, anyone who causes harm to the people he loves. he doesn't care about the blood that stains his hands, doesn't care if it scars his soul and destroys him in the afterlife, because all he cares about is this life, and about keeping the people he loves alive. his desperation for at least his loved ones to live and his fierce loyalty towards them manifests like this, in this grim determination that allows him to slaughter kingdoms, all for everyone else, all for the sake of others. yeonjun will fall into hell one day and even the devil will fear him there, but he'd do it all again if he had to.

“i'll kill them,” yeonjun declares, the words burning him from the inside out. “i'll kill them all. they're fools if they think they can hurt you and get away with it. i'm going to kill them all for you, just you wait.”

☆ choi soobin

soobin is the “i would live for you” ultimatum. he knows the intricacies of life, knows how hard it is to keep living and living and living and living, knows how painful it is to keep getting up every time you're beaten down, blood in your mouth and bruises in your side but still continuing to live. he knows how hard it is to live in spite of how everything inside him wants to die. but he can't die, not whilst he's the only one who loves you so strongly, the only one who remembers and truly cares. the world needs to know that someone lives, who loves the people that soobin loves. he lives, so the future can remember him, and thus remember you too. he lives so he can live enough life for the both of you.

“i love you,” soobin whispers, eyes shattering, “and i'm going to spend every day reminding the world just how much i do. i'm going to live for your memory, for your smiles, for everything you are. i'll live for you, and you alone.”

☆ choi beomgyu

and of course, beomgyu is“i would die for you”. how could he be anything else? he's a tragic lover, the classic lover, the kind of lover who places little value in his own life but places so much in yours. beomgyu would die for you, sacrifice himself a thousand times if he could, because he wants to help you, always. and if it's his death that does that, then. that's enough said. he places himself below others, in terms of importance: the people he loves always come first. he might cry about it—will definitely cry, in fact, heart-wrenching sobs where no one else can hear—but he'll do it. for the sake of other people's happiness, for yours, so he knows you'll smile again, even if he's not there to see it.

“listen,” beomgyu says quietly. even as tears shine in his eyes, his voice is strong, determined. “listen. let me die. i'll- i'll be the sacrifice. let me die for you, because at least then, i'll feel like i'm doing something worthwhile.”

[animeyanderelover]

What if Hisoka, Kurapika, Illumi, and Uvogin (separately) meet a darling who's nen is ridiculously over powered with very little drawbacks. For example she has full control of the sun and could easily incinerate a whole continent but instead just uses it to give her garden the best growing light or get the sun out of her eyes when driving. Ultimate power but a complete pacifist.

Tw: Yandere themes, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional mindset, overprotective behavior, manipulation, isolation, blackmailing, threats, isolation

Tags: @jamayah @chxxz @leveyani @cynniical @shenryu-sama @maggiequinn59

Ultimate power yet a pacifist

Kurapika Kurta

⛓️​Kurapika would probably have some mixed feelings about a darling as powerful as you. He's delusional in the sense that he believes that he has to protect you and isolate you for your own safety as he has made himself an enemy of the Phantom Troupe who would have no hesitation to target you for revenge or to use you as a hostage. Yet he is not delusional enough to fool himself that you wouldn't be able to fight all by yourself due to your ridiculously overpowered Nen. On the one hand there is most likely a sliver of relief, mainly because he isn't optimistic enough to believe that he can protect you all time which is why he is partially relieved to know that you would be able to defend yourself if worst comes to worst. On the other hand it is the sheer scale of your abilities that seems to rob him of the purpose of the provider and protector he would like to fulfill for you as you technically don't even need his protection. This is what is messing with his thoughts for quite some time to the point where he even sometimes considers using his Steal Chain on you to steal your Nen abilties though he probably would never steal your Nen ability forever from you even if he should snatch it away.

⛓️​He'd probably be more prone to use his Steal Chain on you during the first phase of his obsession where he is still quite paranoid and has to work through his suffocating feelings of infatuation and fear of losing you. It takes Kurapika some time before the worst seems to be over in regards of his paranoia and only then will he actually pay more mind to your own words. It seems somewhat baffling to him that someone with such immense powers as you would have no interest to use them for a fight or conflict which is why he will use his Dowsing Chain on you to determine whether you lie or not and only after he has confirmed that you speak the truth would he slowly consider giving your abilities back to you before eventually doing so. Additionally once he is aware that you hate using your Nen to fight and hurt others he finds a justified purpose for isolating you and protecting you. You have a pure and innocent heart despite your overpowered Nen and he plans to see it through that you will never have to endure the horror of a real fight though he also has you swearing to him that if there should be a time where he can't protect you that you will at least use your abilities to defend yourself.

Hisoka Morow

🃏​You can bid your peaceful days of living a normal and serene life goodbye the moment this clown finds out just how ridiculous your Nen abilities really are. Hisoka lives for the thrill of fighting strong opponents to the point where he will go through meticulous plans to fulfill his desire to fight the people he has chosen as his target. So you can probably imagine his distaste when he finds out that you have no interest to ever use your abilities for a fight. Are you not bored yet of living such an idle life? Everything you stand for is essentially everything he doesn't want. Hisoka doesn't want a calm and nice life in a little cottage, stuck in the same pattern that repeats itself every single day. He'd die of boredom. You're wasting your time and your talent in this little village and he is more than adamant to convince you of his point of view. He's more persistent than a cockroach as he constantly pops up in front of your door or sometimes even breaks into your house where you find him on the couch as he shuffles his cards, remarking how exceptionally unexceptional your interior is. If you really believe that this is what you want you must be lying to yourself.

🃏When initial persuasion doesn't do the job Hisoka starts taking more extreme measurements, now with the goal to anger you and test just how far he can take it with your patience. Initially he starts subtly threatening to hurt people you care about or pets you might keep, gauging your reactions. It would be very unwise to react with anger or fear as Hisoka will target those feelings instantly, realising that there is a chance that he might crack you. As he has no morals nor limitations with the things he would do simply to get what he desires you might see yourself forced to use your abilities before he can kill someone, though you still refuse to kill him. If you were to do that though you would only turn him on, tease him by giving him a taste of your power only to leave him then hanging. It's like giving a a man dying of thirst a drop of water only to then disappear. Once he has gotten a taste Hisoka will long for more and he will do anything to get more from you. If he has to target innocent pets or people for that he will do so. He doesn't mind if you hate him for it. The only thing he won't tolerate is if you were to ignore him in which case he would do anything to elicit a reaction out of you.

Illumi Zoldyck

🤎​For Illumi the situation wouldn't be entirely pleasant either as he is someone who is very controlling over his obsession and for that it just feels wrong for him to know that you are as powerful as you are. From the very beginning he interrogates you just on how your Nen works and what you can do with it as he immediately wants to make plans in case you should decide to misbehave and think that you can escape him because you are as mighty as you are. He strongly discourages you from using your powers at all even for harmless purposes yet some of his other family members most likely have a different view on the subject. Whilst Kikyo supports Illumi and believes that you should properly submit to him as his spouse it is most likely Zeno who takes interest in your abilities and would encourage you to use them more often, though he has other things in mind than just wasting it on the domestic tasks you often use them for. After all an ability such as yours would only add to the fearsome reputation of the Zoldyck family even if you weren't trained as an assassin since the moment you could crawl around. Tension definitely exists over those topics in the family.

🤎​Simple reassurances from your side that you have no plan to ever use your abilities for other purposes than making some domestic chores easier do not work on Illumi. He needs the feeling of control over you and if he doesn't have it there is this unbearable pull in his chest that agitates him subtly all the time. A needle will be used on you for that purpose so that he has some form of power over you so that you will never be able to even think about ever wielding your abilities against him and his family. He installs the fear and the panic inside of you and he finds himself enjoying the sight of you breaking out in cold sweat and your body freezing afterwards, feelings he forces you to feel when you anger him. Only after he has seen himself that his needles have worked on you will he take it that little bit easier though he does make sure that those feelings of fear and intimidation stay prominent on your mind so that you never forget them. Only after he has established that hold over you might he allow you to se your Nen ability for harmless activities though you always need to ask for his permission beforehand unless you wish to displease him.

Uvogin

🫀​Physically Uvogin is stronger than you but your Nen is a lot more versatile and powerful which means that you could probably still beat him in a fight if it came down to it. That isn't something that Uvogin initially considers nor realises, mainly because he has only ever seen you use your powers to make domestic chores easier and to help you in your everyday life. He doesn't feel threatened, especially since you are such a pacifistic person who despises violence and death. Ironic considering that he is everything that you loathe yet he is smart enough to hold himself back, at least when he is with you. Both of you have a great relationship after all although you remain in the dark about his identity as a member of the Phantom Troupe. Otherwise things may take a turn for the worse which is something Uvogin doesn't really want. So he keeps on pushing the problem away until one day something goes wrong which then leaves him with no choice but to abduct you as otherwise you might be a burden for the troupe if you were to remain free and would leak information. The revelation puts a strain on the relationship, especially once you figure out that Uvogin has killed for you.

🫀​Both of you have kept secrets and whilst his is a lot more grave, Uvogin is still slightly hurt when he finds out that you never bothered to tell him that you could wipe out an entire city if you wanted to. At this point he knows you well enough to believe you though when you inform him that you have no interest to ever use your Nen for criminal purposes which is why he allows you to use it freely for the same things you used it before you got kidnapped. He's after all there to protect you and see it through that no one with bad intentions gets close to you. Honestly, Chrollo is probably a bigger threat here than Uvogin is because he would be immensely interested in a Nen as powerful as yours with little drawbacks and conditions to fulfill to use it. In fact he has tried multiple times to persuade Uvogin to let him steal your Nen yet this is one thing that Uvogin is unwilling to do for his boss, especially since you know what Chrollo would use your Nen for. It's only because you are Uvogin's darling that Chrollo eventually pulls away with lingering disappointment though he never truly stops offering Uvogin the idea, especially if you should one day decide to use your abilities against him.

[hijinks-n-lowjinks]

Because of the jjk exhibition and new interview questions with Gege there's been a lot of discourse, specifically about how things ended with Nobara and Gojo.

From what the exhibition attendees can best recall (as recordings inside were banned), Gege stated that he doesn't really want to kill off a character if he knows it won't emotionally affect the readers and a bunch of people are reacting poorly to it. But honestly, I don't really disagree with him. The purpose of deaths in most media to pull an emotional reaction from the consumers! You want your readers to feel emotionally tied and affected by that loss! If you kill a character just to kill someone, that's when it's purposeless and pointless.

I think some people are taking this way too literally and interpreting it as "gege kills for shock value" which does NOT equate to what he was saying, in my opinion. Every death has some impact on the characters, the plot, or the underlying meaning of the narrative.

Nanami's death is the most understandable of all of these. As a mentor figure, he was already at risk just because of tropes of the genre and storytelling in general. His death provided motivation for Yuuji and gave us a strong feeling of loss and a desperation to see Mahito brought to justice. He was also a full grown adult so his death was less of a shocking tragedy and more of a painful loss. I don't think there's many people who who debate this.

Now let's get to Nobara. I might be in the minority here, but I believe her death did mean something! Jjk has always discussed themes of throwing kids into situations they aren't fully equipped for and how their youth and lives have been taken away from them out of a sense of duty. Nobara's death is exactly meant to lean into this. She didn't have to die and she shouldn't have died. She was young and made a grave mistake when she shouldn't have gone out by herself! Nanami told her to stay behind because he knew she would be at a heavy risk of injury or death, but because of the culture around her Nobara went anyway. She wanted to help and wanted to be useful. There's a sort of toxic glory in jujutsu society where the strong are held up and revered while also being used recklessly. Nobara shouldn't have died, the same way Haibara and Riko shouldn't have died, but they did. That's the tragedy of it, and jjk is a tragedy and always has been. It was meant to evoke anger and pain, a desire to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again.

Gojo's death is the most complicated. It's the most convoluted and shocking, but I can see what gege was trying to do with it. Gojo is the strongest, but he worked alone and was used to working alone. No one can keep up with him and would just get in his way, so he was somewhat forced to fight Sukuna alone. I believe that the intention behind his loss was to show that even the most powerful can fall, especially when they have no one else they can rely on. The students all have each other. They are meant to be the change to the culture around them, working together to defeat Sukuna and bring about change. We even see this when Yuuta in Gojo's body relies on Inumaki! He's in the body of the strongest, but he wasn't going in alone. That's the difference.

Jjk has shown over and over again the tragedy of the world and hasn't shied away from the reality of loss, grief, and how unfair the world can be. That's the point of all of these horrible things, to show that unfairness. But I don't believe it will end that way! What's the point in showing how sad and nihilistic things are if it doesn't also show hope? I'm certain jjk will have a hopeful, victorious ending but those things come at a cost. That's what I believe gege's intention is.

[dreamingofthewild]

I feel like people often misunderstand why Gale chooses to stay behind after you side with the goblins. And to an extent, why he also stands by a romanced character in their evil ending.

Gale choosing to stay doesn’t imply that he is easily corruptible, secretly evil, or weak-willed. Given the limited time he has to find a secluded spot to avoid collateral damage from the orb when ceremorphosis hits, he doesn't really have much of a choice but to think about survival.

Gale has been living with a death sentence due to the orb, one he has been trying to mitigate, so he has had a long time to think about his mortality and he doesn't want to die—especially not while he still hasn't been forgiven by Mystra. His decision to stay with the party, even under morally dubious circumstances, underscores his pragmatic approach to survival rather than an inherent inclination towards evil.

Gale is undeniably drawn to powerful individuals. However, beneath this attraction lies his tendency to see the good in people and rationalise things.

Gale’s capacity for love is profound and intense. His love isn't just affection; it's worship. His romantic devotion is incredibly passionate yet self-destructive. It places Gale in a position where he might find himself in an unequal power dynamic again without him realising it.

His tendency for romantic idealism can prevent him from recognizing toxic patterns. Ultimately, Gale’s decision to stay with such powerful and potentially evil figures is not about compromising his morals but rather about being blinded by love, not wanting to give it up easily and a deep understanding of the complexities of human nature.

In the events of the game he still doesn't fully recognise that his relationship with Mystra is problematic. It stands that he might not realise that he is getting himself into a relationship with another unequal power dynamic.

It might also be that he doesn't want to abandon his loved one, just like Mystra abandoned him. This doesn’t mean that he is going to compromise his own morals, however. He chooses to support and stand by the person he loves, as long as they stand by him. He will challenge them, but he will act with the empathy and consideration that Mystra never afforded him. Once again, his own experience and desire for agency are most likely guiding his choices.

His devotion and hope are beautiful yet tragic, making him a deeply romantic character prone to repeating past mistakes in his quest for love and acceptance.

He does have a darker side which is attracted to knowledge and power. But it's easy to forgot that his intentions are never immoral or malicious.

When it comes to love, knowledge, and power, Gale has a significant blind spot (moral blindness maybe?). Ultimately, he just wants to love, live, and be accepted for who he is, rather than what he can do for others. His desire for happiness and to see his loved ones happy often drives his decisions. As well as a confidence in his own abilities and ability to handle situations.

So, yes, Gale might stay with his romanced partner even in an evil ending. But this doesn't mean he is evil himself. It simply reflects his humanity and the depths of his devotion. Strong emotional bonds can lead someone to remain involved with a deeply flawed and morally ambiguous partner.

It will be a toxic romance, but Gale's willingness to stay with a morally ambiguous love interest reflects not in his morality but in his approach to love. If he'd had a normal relationship and didn't have the orb then his reactions might have been different.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Imagine being Ruggie sister who somehow got in to night raven as a student and everything progress on and them as a Ramshackle perfect due to them being a kind person like Tanjiro and strong yet but of a nerd liked Deku with a unique magic of growing plants

What's more she a home maker due to them living in the slums ( like meding clothes, cooking, fixing things as she can, using home remedies when sick and help their bother with the kids at home ) with Ruggie and too working hard to get out of there as they wanted to be a doctor

Let's say due to their genuine kindness Leona, Malleus, Idia, Jamal, Carter and Riddle have a unhealthy obsession crush with Ruggie sister who doesn't share the same romantic feeling and only sees them as a friend

Ruggie's Little Sister Reader | Yandere Twisted Wonderland

Perfectly built for Ramshackle, you happily take to it despite your brother’s insistence you stay next to him in Savvannaclaw. But you’ve never been one to listen to your big brother and you can definitely handle it. You probably fare better than the original in terms of dealing with Night Raven. Because you know how to sweet up boys with mean attitudes, maybe a little too well:

Leona Kingscholar

“Look herbivore, don’t try to boss me-”

“Who’re you calling herbivore!? I’m talking to you, about this lazy cat behavior!”

“Lazy cat-”

“(Y/n) please–”

“No Ruggie, you baby him far too much! I’m stepping in!”

He at first really hates you

Like really 

You do all the things Ruggie does just not for him

In fact you make him do things that make him tired

It’s a pain 

But for whatever reason he’s getting especially happy when you praise him

Only for you 

He’s violent with anyone who comments on the work you have him doing

Its the only reason he keeps in your good graces and thats enough for him

“I’m proud of you, Leona! Now come I’ve cooked up some fillet mignon and it has your name on it!”

“It better. I’m never doing my own laundry again.”

“Hahaha yes you will.”

Ruggie is nervous about this but appreciates you picking up the slack

It sometimes bothers him how much time his employer starts spending with you

But he’s not too worried Leona understands his desire to protect you

“Huh?! You got him to do that?! What should I expect, you are my little sister.”

“Don’t act like I’m not the cooler one of us two.”

Malleus Draconia 

“Ah horn-dude, I was just looking for you.”

“Horn-dude? And you were looking for me?”

“Yeah I was thinking of adding some gardenias, and maybe some vines for decoration. I wanted your opinion since you like coming by here so often.”

“The vines would pertain to a more beautifully abandoned image…but that might just be my preference.”

“Oh thanks so much, Horns!”

His crush is so obvious 

Talking about you often to his guards and mentor

And whenever anyone goes to talk to him he finds some odd way to incorporate you into the conversation 

Trust me its weird for everyone when he starts talking about you during potions when their dissecting magical creatures

he can’t stop trying to talk to you

But he usually ends up just staring at you from the distance

Waiting until your instincts pick up on his presence

And your forced to invite him to join whatever your doing

“Ah! Horns didn’t see you over there! Do you want in? We’re making paper flowers for the festival want to join?”

“I would love to!” 

“What?! Horns?! (Y/n) why are you lettinghimjoin giving him more paper!? I know what I’m doing!” 

“Sure you do.”

Ruggie’s scared out of his mind 

How did you get mixed up with this overpowered monster

He can’t do too much now without knowing he’s going to die

But if it means saving you from certain doom aka Malleus Draconia it might be worth it

Idia Shroud

“Alright that’s enough!”

“W-what?!”  

“No more games before you finish cleaning your room! Ortho and I can help but–”

“Actually (Y/n)-san, I recently pulled up a study that states letting children clean their own rules helps instill better habits when their adults!”

“Ortho!?”

“Oh great idea! Well we’ll be just outside! Come on Ortho let’s plan out our cosplay!”

“Yes!”

“G-guys?!”

He hates that you mother him

But he absolutely loves it when you mother him

He cries about being in the dreaded friendzone kidzone

But boy does he love the way you pat his head or let him cuddle into your chest

He loves the food you make during marathons

Or how you’ll let yourself be distracted by the games you really like

He gets drastic if you spend too long out of his reach

So he sets up cameras+ 

So he takes any opportunity to speak with you

So he puts others in horrifying accidents

“Heeheh by the time I’m done you’ll be the best girl-gamer in the space. And then it’ll be a given for you to never leave the ultimate guy-gamer!” 

“Ewww keep my sister out of your nerd schemes!” 

“Eeep! An enemy has appeared!”

Ruggie thinks he’s a nerd with no game

But nonetheless he knows Idia’s smart but not street smart

“Hishishsishi can’t set the trap if you don’t have the button! Hardly even noticed me swiping his gadget.” 

Jamil Viper 

“I appreciate the help, (Y/n).”

“Of course, you’re always running yourself ragged…I wanted to do something for you.”

“...I really appreciate the lunches you’ve made for me…it’s been a while since I’ve eaten a meal by someone else.” “Well just give me a call I don’t mind cooking for you or lending a hand.”

He’s smitten nbyond comprehension

Now going out of his way to hypnotize anyone else into a corner when it comes to talking to you

Its the least he does out of retaliation

He knows all his flirting and hints go right over your head

But your still cute 

Until you do get it he’s pulling the rug out from any and all competitors

“Hey (Y/n), why don’t you join me in the kitchen? Maybe, show me how you made those potato crisps?”

“Sure, Jamil I’d love to!”

“Ah ah! Not without me you’re not!”

Ruggie knows Jamil’s like him but smarter

Sly and sneaky

Powers aside Ruggie’s sure Jamil’s problematic for your safety

“Don’t think for a second, I’ll let you have them! I'm not that fond of snakes!”

Carter Diamond 

“Wah~(Y/n) you’re so photogenic! Will you pose for me one more time?”

“Well alright. If it’ll make you happy.”

“It’ll make me more than happy!” He loves how oblivious you are 

He absolutely hates it+

But your just so cute 

He guesses he can forgive it 

And hey while your learning the ropes he’s more than happy to keep you close

“Hey hey don’t forget to keep up our streak!”

“Streak?”

“Yeah we’ve been sharing our photos throughout the day of what we’re doing.”

“Yup! It’s a great way to keep track of her!”

“Ick-!”

Ruggie knows he’s slippery

When it comes to tailing him Cater’s good at giving the slip

“Not on my watch. I’m not giving you the chance, to trick my baby sister.”

Riddle Rosehearts

“That’s entirely unreasonable, I’m not doing that!”

“Grrr (Y/n) these are the rules I thought you would respect that.”

“And I thought you would know to relax!”

He thinks your sweet but totally unreasonable

So he guesses you both have something to learn from each other

You more than him obviously

While he doesn’t think highly of your brother he knows your different

And you belong to him

He’s not going to take ‘no’ for an answer

If this is a battle of wills he’d win it

Even if that means subjecting your bad influences to being beheaded

“Riddle! You can't just put that collar on my brother like that!”

“Yeah I’m not even apart of your dorm!”

“Don’t be mad at me for enforcing rules. I know you know the very least of the rules. It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that your brother just doesn’t measure up. Which means you should leave him before he drags you down.”

Ruggie is peeved that such a prick is after his sister

But he’s not worried 

He’s definitely not cool enough to keep your attention

Not to mention he’s so easy to anger 

It’ll be fun to rile him up

“Hishishishi so mad oh so fast! You’ll barely survive dating them if your this easy.”

[maeve-is-annoying-about-books]

I didn't really wanna talk ahead of the Dungeon Meshi anime but I had this thought bugging me as I was skimming the manga. So, spoilers for what's to come.

I don't think it's any coincidence that Laios' party, out of a cast of infinitely more capable people, makes it to the final floor of the Dungeon. Why? Cause they aren't heroes.

Look at Kabru, he's the poster boy for anime protagonists. He has a tragic backstory, a personal beef with the dungeon, skills trained by a master of the crafts, and a large party who seems genuinely friendly together. He has everything going for him to one day dive to the bottom and gain closure for his story but he just can't. He never will, because the dungeon does not work on his logic. It turns out that there is no plot armor against hearing a siren sing for the first time.

What about Mithrun then? Personally wronged by the Demon, he's the paradigm of vengeance. A tragic hero who will do anything it takes to get to his goal and probably die achieving it. He has a party full of dark history and interesting dynamics, really laden with moral greyness. Not Berserk but a step closer to it than Kabru's story. But he is, unfortunately, also a classic hero archetype, and although his skills are impressive they aren't fit for the ecosystem around him, singleminded vengeance will see you killed by changelings, the cold, or starvation.

Shuro, it's gotta be Shuro right? A man from a distant land but a familiar one to the primary readerbase. He goes back to train, hone his mind, collect a party, and save the love interest from a cruel fate. Perhaps he will learn there is no saving her, and tragically be forced to slay the monster she's become. His journey ends the second Faligon dies, so he has no chance, ever, of becoming the Dungeon Lord. There doesn't need to be any extra traps to deter him, he'll get what he wants at the fourth level and be gone, his desire simply isn't pointed that way.

Laios, on the other hand. None of his party are heroes, they're all here for selfish reasons and have absolutely zero illusions about heroics and greater goods. Laios is here to save Falin, he only wants his sister to be safe. And to eat and document monsters. Marcille is here for forbidden magic and Falin, and her two desires coincide with her resurrection. Chilchuck is here because he got paid up front and can't leave without rumors spreading. Senshi was always here and he just wants to live in peace with nature. None of them have heroic intent, broadly. But it also means they don't have heroic conceit either.

Laios' party will eat anything. They'll run from battle, take shortcuts. They treat monsters not as grand challenges to overcome but something to fight for their lives with. With their teeth if need be. There is no honor here there is only living. Honor gets you strangled by treasure bugs. Revenge will see you abandon your party to giant spiders for the mere shot at your target. Duty sees you skipping meals because your goal is so important. It is striking how different the dungeon is between Laios and the others. They all treat the dungeon as their personal hell to be striven against and conquered, only Laios sees it as an extension of the living world and understands his place in it. And I think that is so fucking cool, it's so multifaceted. Like, their exact skill set is perfect for getting through the dungeon because of how they all treat it. But also because the dungeon wants them there, because they have very personal, strong desires. Desires that shape their skills, and desires shaped by their skills in a kind of Ouroboros.

And it's an interesting question of how much of both factors into their progress in the story.

[yellowocaballero]

So fucking glad to see someone talk about SSS Class revival hunter 😭 I lived it so much and I feel like no one ever mentions it against more popular titles like ORV or even The Lout of the counts family, so I'm so glad to come here and see your amazing takes :>

Thank you for the ask which lets me talk about SSSCRH (the version I read was titled 'Suicide Hunter', which tbh I like more - no beating around the bush).

It's hard to draw an accurate comparison since I'm going off just the webtoon for SSSCRH, while I'm going off both the webtoon and the webnovel for ORV. And I love ORV, ORV is my media blorbo right now, it hydraulic presses my brain, I am writing ORV fanfic - it's, like, funner to enjoy. But SSSRH is just better. In the vast majority of ways it is is better. It's better than the holy trinity by a wide margin. TW talk of suicide obviously.

I can't believe I'm saying this but you need a basic understanding of Buddhism in order to understand SSSCRH. It's not about Gongja's suicides - he doesn't suicide from depression or lack of self-esteem. SSSCRH is about suffering in the Buddhist sense - dukkha. I don't want to make this an essay, so I might reblog this with more information, but extremely shortly:

The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism is the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. You've heard that Buddhists say 'life is suffering'. To put it one way that doesn't require defining a lot of words: the cause of suffering is experiencing the world as we percieve it instead of how it truly is. Suffering isn't just being miserable and in pain, and life isn't suffering because life sucks and global warming exists and people voted for Trump. Life is suffering because we can experience beautiful and joyful moments in this world, but we do not exist in the moment of that happiness or place our ego/'self' between us and that happiness. Living in that moment, accepting the moment as it is unconditionally, is freedom from suffering. The Buddha tries to free people from suffering through teaching Buddhism.

"What does this have to do with the webnovel and manwha about a guy murdering himself thousands of times" it has everything to do with it. Because SSSCRH is about suffering, and it is about using suffering as a tool in order to experience a world unfiltered by ego and break down the artificial boundaries between human beings. Suffering in SSSCRH is not a bad thing. Gongja has the unique capability to (reincarnate.) experience a person's suffering in unity with them, which dissolves the delusion of separation between people and puts us in touch with the reality of oneness.

The Murim arc was fucking insane because Gongja pulls a Big Bodhisattva Move and walks through the suffering of the world in order to achieve full understanding of the human experience. He takes all of the suffering of the world into himself and is liberated. You can tell it's Buddhist because death was not presented as a bad thing - death was an aspect of a happy ending for the Heavenly Demon lady, because she was finishing her life according to her own joy, and because her teachings were passed on she did not truly die.

But the purpose of embracing suffering is to discover the ability to fully embrace life, and that's where Heavenly Demon's teachings were incomplete - as the ghost dude said, Gongja hasn't even experienced his own full life and the infinite capability for his own happiness. You can only feel the depths of sadness when you've felt the depths of happiness. Sadness deserves its place in the world and it can strengthen you, but so does happiness.

Gongja is attention-seeking, envious, and unbelievably petty. When he drills down into his own desires and why he wants the things he wants, you see that he has a very strong sense of justice and right and wrong - he realizes he doesn't want to be famous, he wants to be acknowledged, but on an even deeper level he is desperate for love and to be loved. Everything he does is to experience love, and as such he learns to love others. His love for the Flamey Asshole was purely parasocial and ego-filled, with no concern for who he was as a human. Throughout the manwha, he grows to care for people as they truly are and pierce through any delusions or misleading outward appearances. He has released all attachment to life and death, and as such does not fear death, and as such has taken a step on the road towards becoming a Boddhisatva who frees others from the cycle of samsara, and as a result has learned sick sword techniques and is sooo good at beating people up.

I think the only other thing I want to mention here because otherwise this is an essay: in almost every time loop/regression story, only the final regression matters. In stories with dungeon monsters and NPCs, only the humans matter. The regressor exists in a space where there are no consequences for their actions, so they act terribly and do whatever because none of it matters. In Groundhog Day Bill Murray acts like an asshole because he can. That's not the case here. Everything Gongja does matters. The NPCs are fake, but Gongja never treats them as anything less than real people who deserve life. Once he understands a person's life he never treats them as unimportant. No loop is thrown away and no person or life is disregarded. His choices matter, the way he treats others matters, and Gongja never treats anybody as if they don't matter except for himself.

That was not short. There is a lot more. The female characters are so good and so rich. From a craft perspective it is excellently paced and has a wonderful sense of set-up/payoff and balances tone and maintains a lot of momentum, which is really hard in a time loop story. You have to do a few very specific things to write OP characters well and SSSCRH does it very well. There's more to say from a craft perspective and it's hard to judge accurately from a webtoon but it's good. I was so strangely struck the entire time about how sincere and genuine it was, how it said what it said with no trace of irony of confusion, and I think that's what stuck with me the most.

TL;DR: SSS Class Revival Hunter is good for a lot of very normal reasons, such as excellent pacing and set-up/pay off and characters, but it's also so sincerely and genuinely Buddhist that it blew my tits clean off.

[talkativeanxiousturtle]

TW: Mention of death, mention of su*c*de.

I saw the description for "Psych", on Netflix. And if you don't know, it's basically about this detective helping the police who has to convince everyone he's a genius but actually he's a psychic.

So I had this idea for a AU. What if Sherlock could see ghosts? Now, when I write fantasy, ghosts already have a set of rules in my universe, that makes them juuuuust unhelpful enough that they can't fix the characters' problems, and just important enough that they haunt the narrative, quite literally. So I used those rules for my ghosts. That would mean that Sherlock, although he would have a huge advantage in solving the crimes, still wouldn't be able to like, deduce everything about you. Like he's still a genius for doing that. It's just... Now he also sees ghosts. He can't really talk to them with people around (people already dislike him, if they think he's crazy he'll lose all credibility), and ghosts don't like communicating with the living anyways, unless you're willing to trade something away. Sherlock is NOT. So, his power seems pretty useless, right?

But what if he had a ghost friend? A ghost bonded to him, haunting him, but still on good enough terms that he's willing to help Sherlock in his endeavors. His ghost friend interrogates the ghosts on the scene, asks questions, makes sure they get as much info from the other side as they can. Sherlock uses the clues to find out WHAT question to ask.

Now all that's left is to figure out just who that ghost is... The easy answer seems to be John. A dead soldier haunting 221B, Sherlock moves in, and John gets so enraptured in Sherlock's adventures that his unfinished business becomes writing about him. John uses a haunted pen to write it all, by hand.

But then, Johnlock just becomes tragic, doesn't it? Sherlock is constantly lying awake, fearing that John will finally tire of writing about him and move on to the next plane. And John doesn't want to leave Sherlock alone! He's scared of what Sherlock might do, if left behind. John is refusing himself Heaven, to make sure Sherlock doesn't end up in Hell. Sure, he had no reason to think that Sherlock would end up in Hell, but... It's Sherlock. Come on. So when Sherlock does something wrong, John is WAY more on his case about it. He's terrified for Sherlock's soul. The fic would end with the Fall, because why, pray tell, would Sherlock bother faking his death? Just join your boyfriend. Sure, he could envision a way out, but all he has to do is lie to John, "there is no other way", and John would let himself be convinced.

That's all well and good, but a story where the happy ending is "main character kills self" is not like... A GREAT moral for a story to have, especially in THIS mentally ill fandom. So you know what would be a better moral? Learning to let go of hurts past, and choosing to live. We all know Sherlock would die for John, would kill for him. What if, in this one, we make him live for him?

I propose Sherlock's ghost friend should be Victor Trevor. Sherlock's dead childhood friend never stopped haunting him, quite literally this time. Sherlock was so traumatized, his desire to grow up with Victor, to not be left alone, so strong that he accidentally tethered Victor to the mortal plane. He doesn't know he's the one who did it, of course, and Victor doesn't want to tell him. He knows Sherlock would hate himself too much for it. So, they cohabitate. They get to grow up together. At first, they think Victor is just going to stay a child, but for some reason he's able to grow older. Makes sense, since he's a manifestation of Sherlock's desire for them to age together, but THEY DON'T KNOW THAT. Sherlock isn't as bitter about being alone, in this version. After all, he still has a best friend. And no one could ever replace him.

Then he meets John.

Oh! The guilt of Sherlock, as he begins to feel things for John! Oh! The jealousy of John, for this unknowable, apparently much smarter, funnier, handsomer friend than he! Oh! The torn feelings of Victor, both fearing losing his place in Sherlock's heart, and wishing his friend would move on!

... Should I write it.

[intimidating-fettuccine]

Some worldbuilding/lore HCs for the balance and structure of the Underworld.

The Underworld is broken up into seven different zones, all surrounded by a ring-like barrier blocking them off from each other. The rings have specific entrances, and you must have permission in order to legally pass through, although people do illegally slip through, but doing so can be dangerous depending on where you try and get in. While Zalgo is technically the king of all of the Underworld, he has six leaders who are in charge of keeping things running smoothly in the zones that he doesn't reside in. These leaders can resign or be replaced if necessary if Zalgo feels they aren't doing a good enough job, or if he doesn't like how they've decided to do things.

These seven zones are all ranked based on how dangerous it is to reside there based on strength. One is the least dangerous zone, and seven is the most dangerous. Slender (along with the creeps) and Zalgo reside in the first zone, as do a majority of the Underworld's human residents. There are no human residents in the seventh zone and only a few in the zones between one and seven. I don't think any of the human creeps in the mansion would be able to survive in a zone more dangerous than three, and I don't think anyone other than BEN and Slender in the mansion would be able to survive past area five. Most of those areas are occupied by eldritch beings, with the strongest and most elite occupying the seventh zone. Slender was raised in the seventh zone, where his mother was born and raised. Those that die and become demons/ghosts/eldritch beings usually spawn into the first zone, although they may spawn in other zones as well on occasion, but that can limit survival depending on the strength they receive.

The seven zones tend to have different ideas of how to exist. The first zone is the most like Earth in terms of its views on life and existence. The second zone is a work-focused ring that values working your whole existence for the benefit of keeping things running in the Underworld above all else and is filled with most of the ambitious inhabitants of the Underworld. The third zone values self-indulgence, full of hedonistic beings that go against the normal status of the Underworld to only focus on their own wants and desires. The fourth zone is where most of the mafia in the Underworld tend to reside, and where most illegal trade and actions tend to occur, and being full of violence and greed, most weak individuals tend to avoid this zone and the ones after it. The fifth zone prioritizes violence even more than the last, in what could be considered the military zone of the Underworld, being full of beings that focus on fighting and training and the development and distribution of weapons. The sixth zone is one of the scariest to live in, being run on a rigid dictatorship that presents itself as the happiest place in the Underworld, and any that show a single sign of depression or fear are often executed in this zone as its leader has no tolerance for anything but "joy", even if fake and manufactured, and this zone is known for medication production in the Underworld (including its own famously branded Smile Pills, a euphoric medication that demons there use to try to avoid losing the happiness their leader so violently strives for). The seventh zone is one ruled by the oldest and strongest of beings, and presents itself as one of elegance and violence together, valuing strength and power above all else, ridiculing the weak, and valuing the oldest traditions marked by the original surviving eldritch beings.

Every 100 years there is an event known as The Great Sleep. This is an event that makes or breaks the hierarchy in the Underworld because it can allow the weak to destroy the strong. The Great Sleep lasts for one month and occurs randomly. The strongest beings in the Underworld, eldritch/ghosts/demons alike, will fall asleep for that entire month-long period, and will not be able to wake no matter what. This is the only time that ghosts are required to sleep. Their bodies do this to allow them to rest and recuperate the strength required to control their power. Leading up to this, those strongest beings will start to become exhausted, often dazing off or falling asleep when they don't normally, and eventually, a mark will appear on their bodies signifying that they have been chosen. Once the mark appears, those that bear it tend to go into hiding, often in elaborately guarded and protected areas. This is because once they fall asleep, those weaker than them hunt them, taking advantage of their defenselessness and killing them (or exorcising/sealing them if they're ghosts) to disrupt the power balance in the Underworld. Slender's parents, Slender himself, Zalgo, and BEN in my canon are the creeps that would fall under this century's Great Sleep. Slender's parents have a hidden sanctum in which they sleep during this event, and as a proxy of Slender's, BEN would also be given access to this area. Zalgo has a protected sanctum underneath his castle which is heavily guarded. During this time, business tends to slow in the Underworld as underlings of those sleeping are left in charge of any businesses, and there's an increase in violence/danger, so most people don't go outside as much.

The six leaders established by Zalgo make up what accounts as a "court" in the Underworld, and they rule on different laws that are made, and how things are run and treated in each of the zones and the Underworld as a whole, however, there is a second set of leaders, chosen not by Zalgo, but by strength. As I've said before, there's a ranking in the Underworld of the strongest and most talented assassins, but there's also a ranking of the most powerful beings in the Underworld. These beings regularly compete and fight (and sometimes die) to try and prove their strength. The three strongest are able to join the court system and vote on how matters should be handled in the Underworld. The leaders chosen by Zalgo each get one vote, and the three strongest beings each get two votes. I there is ever a tie, Zalgo himself breaks the tie with a vote of his own. However, if a ruling is passed that Zalgo doesn't agree with, he holds the right to challenge it as well and refuse to allow it. There is often disagreement amongst the six leaders and the three strongest, as ironically, the three strongest beings are the ones advocating for fairness and equality, while most of the leaders chosen by Zalgo want a more demonic, immoral leaning regulation of the zones and laws. If you were to ask Zalgo, though, he'd agree with the three strongest. 

[littleblueberryartist]

Tokito Muichiro in regards to being useful

aka I thought a bit too hard about chapter 179 and now we're here (KNY Manga spoilers obviously)

you ever think about how much emphasis Muichiro puts on how much use he can be and how that determines his worth?

When he first appears in the ssv arc he comes off as cruel and arrogant, stating that some lives have more value than others, and evaluating said value through one's use and how many lives they can save. Tanjiro notes that the other wasn't being malicious and while I do think that he's confident in his skills as a demon slayer, it's less so in an arrogant sense and more like stating a fact he's confident is true. He's strong, being a hashira and slaying countless demons is proof. He's probably been underestimated for his age countless times but he knows better than anyone just how hard he worked to get here. (Tetsuido being one of the few that knew)

His utility is proof of his skill and worth.

I fully believe that in the event Muichiro was ever asked if this way of thinking meant that his life would be worth less if he wasn't a hashira, he would simply agree. (But he is a hashira. And his time is too precious to waste on hypotheticals.)

We then find out about Muichiro's past, and how Yuichiro told him the mu in muichiro meant incompetence and meaningless. We find out how they fought over Muichiro's desire to help and how Yuichiro said that a boy who couldn't even cook rice would never be able to save anyone, and that all they could do was to die meaningless deaths like their parents.

Muichiro has always wanted to help others. But Yuichiro ties down that infinite kindness with weakness and incompetence in a desperate attempt to keep the only family he has left safe.

The demon that attacked them also called their lives worthless. Again and again, there is talk about how little he can do and how that equates to what your life is worth. I wonder if the way Muichiro assigned different value to lives later on was subconsciously influenced by this. How ironic it is that he went from one of those "worthless" lives to one of such importance.

I'm sure after getting his memories back Mui knows that there's more to life than that. (He was born to be happy) But I can't help but feel like that thinking still sticks around to some capacity. He knows that what you can do doesn't define your worth, but his desire to help and be useful never truly leaves.

(There is a difference in wanting to help others and the need to be useful. For Muichiro, they come hand in hand.)

Even in his final moments, Muichiro refuses to die not out of a desire to live but because he refuses to be useless. He's tried his best this whole time, no one would fault him for not being able to do anything after being cut in fucking half. No one but himself. He needs to be of use, he needs to protect his friends.

Tokito Muichiro has always wanted to help others.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Trimax Thoughts Vol. 12 Pt. 3

[ID: A panel from Trigun Maximum Volume 12. Knives is shown with eyes narrowed and a slight smile as he asks "What's your name?" End ID.]

"What's your name?" A name is an identifier, and to ask for it is to acknowledge an individual's identity.

We see this with Vash and his strong memory for the names of all the people from his Home. But interestingly, even with this memory for individuals, and the way Vash clearly never forgets a single person who has impacted him, he very rarely calls people by name, and this goes doubly the closer he is to them. Meryl and Milly are just "the insurance girls" most of the time. Wolfwood was referred to by Nicholas only once (though to be fair, this may just be typical use of a surname). I need to go back and check when I have more energy but I'm pretty sure the only name Vash uses with any regularity is Rem's. Vash loves them, but he won't stick around, nor will he use their names. Maybe if he doesn't use them... he can avoid getting too attached. (Mission failed...)

But it's more than that. Vash's guilt and desire to keep people safe prevents attachment that's true... but so does his philosophy. By necessity, Vash has to refuse to prioritize anyone's life over another's. Getting attached, becoming close enough to want to do anything to protect that person... Vash can't have that, because Vash knows himself well. He is far from impartial. We all remember his "diablo" moment at the beginning of the manga, and his outright murderous anger towards Knives over Rem and July - and that's still with him distanced. Here's his reactions to Wolfwood being in danger in Volume 10, after Vash realized both how much he meant to him and that he was dying:

[ID: Two screenshots from Trigun Maximum Volume 10. In the first, Vash's face is shadowed before he whirls around to show his eyes - wide and pale and furious. His face is shaded with dark lines for dramatic emphasis. In the second, Vash shoves two men onto the ground by the barrels of his two guns. He is hunched over them, again, furious. His face is shadowed completely. End ID.]

To love someone in a personal way is to prioritize them. It is that prioritization that could lead someone to kill another. Vash cannot have that, yet another reason why he self-imposes that distance from people.

You can't be impartial about others' lives... if some are more important to you than others.

Knives meanwhile uses Legato's name a lot! Legato, or Bluesummers, but either way, he is using his name. And I really think that Knives cares (?) in some way for Legato. He asked Elendira for Legato to be brought back instead of killed. Kind of just lets Legato do what he wants (except kill Vash, obviously). He entrusts him to keep hold of Vash for months on end. Legato doesn't have a number like the rest of Knives' followers; just a name!!! I feel certain that Knives used to share a lot more with Legato before Fifth Moon - Legato seems shocked that Knives would withhold info from him, and he knew Rem's name! There was clearly some point of understanding between them at the moment of their meeting. At the very least, Knives appreciates Legato far more than he lets on.

...And he will never let on. Knives treats Legato cruelly... probably because if he were to treat him on fairer terms, it would be a compromise to his principle that "all humans are bad and need to die", that the time for communication is over, that there is no "making friends" anymore. Knives cannot treat Legato with respect.

You can't push the narrative that an entire group is irredeemable and beneath you... if you've grown attached to one of them.

Knives uses names but treats the people as inferior. Vash treats people with respect but rarely uses names and distances himself. Both of them are severely hampered by their strict ideologies that they will not waver from - which guarantees their loneliness will never end.

Vash is doomed to lose everyone he cares for without ever giving himself the chance to love them, or them to love him. Knives is doomed to lose all his connections, past or possible future, and exist as an eternal lonely child who will never make all those friends he once craved. All because neither of them can afford to back down.

And now they really are gearing up to lose each other, for good this time. Both of them, doomed to lose, right from the start.

There are really no victors in a fight like this.

[cilil]

Narrative echoes, or: The dynamic of Fëanor and Melkor

(And some notes on The Morgoth)

I promised an analysis for these two and I shall deliver. There will be three parts (the titles will make sense in the end), with the second being the longest. Obligatory disclaimer that this is just somebody on the internet expressing their thoughts and research and all that and there is no need to get upset. Let's go.

Huge thank you to @caitlincalculator and @mirkwood for their support and encouragement so I can finally tackle this.

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝑶𝒏𝒆: 𝑺𝒌𝒚

Fëanor and Melkor. To call them mere enemies may be an understatement, considering how they sealed each other's fates. But there is more to their dynamic than enmity - there are also strong narrative parallels that enhance both of their arcs and the underlying message, painting a fascinating picture of the dangers of pride and the pitfalls of potential.

Let's begin by highlighting some key traits they have in common.

Firstly, and perhaps most notably, Melkor and Fëanor are the greatest of their kind, mightiest of the Ainur and mightiest of the Elves respectively. Both were born/created with incredible potential to accomplish great things. And they have undoubtedly been great; in Fëanor's case more obviously so, with all the marvelous works he created (the Silmarils, the Palantíri, etc). In Melkor's case one may wonder if his deeds can truly count as great accomplishments that would in any way be comparable to either Fëanor or his own peers, given how many of his plans and goals were destructive and a significant amount also ended up as failures or backfired in some way or another.

Yet, while Melkor doesn't have that one masterful work on par with the Silmarils to present, he has single-handedly changed the fate of the universe through his discord, so thoroughly that his influence can never be fully eradicated until the world is remade ("a seed that does not die and cannot be destroyed; and ever and anon it sprouts anew, and will bear dark fruit even unto the latest days"). Him pouring his spiritual essence into Arda has undoubtedly weakened him on a personal level, but also created an ultimate lose-lose situation where defeating him for good necessitates the end of the world. Melkor essentially has his own One Ring and said Ring is the very world that Eru made indestructible via fate itself, even if someone tried (at least until Dagor Dagorath, if one wants to still consider it part of their personal canon). Thus, Melkor has accomplished something terrible but nevertheless great, and both he and Fëanor have closely identified themselves with a piece of creation that they had a hand in making and shaping, to the point that their fates and possibly lives are tied to it.

Even so, they could have used their potential to achieve even greater things or at least more great things. As far as Fëanor is concerned this is made explicit in the text - "The works of wonder for the glory of Arda that he might otherwise have wrought only Manwë might in some measure conceive" - and I would argue that it's very likely that Manwë thought and felt similarly about Melkor who "he knew that in the beginning, in the thought of Ilúvatar, [...] had been even as he". One can only imagine the possibilities if things had been different.

Both Fëanor and Melkor are, or at least at some point were, known for ambitious creative pursuits. They feel the need to and were destined to, putting it in very general terms, make things. Furthermore, they both seem to prefer working alone generally, but ultimately can't create all on their own. Once again, Fëanor shows this more clearly by willingly seeking the company and wisdom of Nerdanel in particular. Melkor on the other hand thinks himself above such partnerships and, if he ever had or at least desired a relationship like this, refused to admit so. Yet even he was made to cooperate with others and, despite his best efforts, finds himself in need of some sort of creative partner who picks up and carries out the project he starts. This role was supposed to be taken by Manwë and later taken over by Mairon.

Tying into this, Fëanor and Melkor also appear to feel drawn to fellow creatives. Nerdanel, Mairon and various other associates of Aulë, Maiarin or Elven, come to mind. One may even say they were drawn to each other, at least Melkor to Fëanor. Perhaps the feeling would have been mutual in another scenario too. Whether they like to admit it or not, the creativity and works of others can rouse their curiosity as much as their own and they may seek to get involved in one way or another, one example being Melkor's attempt to claim partial credit for the making of the Silmarils.

Fëanor and Melkor also share a connection to the element of fire. Aside from the usual connotations of fire - passion, destructive potential, rage, zeal and divinity (within the context of Christianity), energy, fear, heat, beauty - it has a special importance within the context of the legendarium, being connected to the Flame Imperishable with which the ëalar of the Ainur were kindled and a spark of which is within every fëa, granting sentience and free will. For Fëanor it's even in his name: Spirit of Fire. Melkor is, while being jack-of-all-trades among the Ainur, most commonly associated with fire and ice, as well as extreme heat and cold, and many fire spirits serve him.

Another interesting parallel between Fëanor and Melkor is the lack of a mother figure. Once again this is more palpable in Fëanor's case, since he was born to Míriel who then grew weary of living and departed. Being the only Elfling at the time who had lost a parent, Fëanor grew up in unusual circumstances and was deeply affected by it. One can only imagine a young Fëanor seeing other Elflings with their mothers and trying to understand why his was no longer with him.

Melkor on the other hand never had a mother in the first place, as do all the Ainur; they're also not born like Elflings are, but instead created by one single parent. Eru is a sexless and likely also genderless entity, but has chosen to present himself as a father, most likely to make his existence and role a little more comprehensible to his creations. He also acts - if his behavior can be compared to any concept or experience familiar to us - more like a father, a distant one at that. Thus, one may conclude that, even if Melkor had a limited (if any) understanding of what a mother is and no exposure to his peers having another parent, he has certainly lacked at least the abstract concept of motherly qualities in a parent, and that it has affected him at least insofar that he may have turned out differently if the situation had been different.

One last interesting observation I've made while comparing Fëanor and Melkor that I want to highlight here is that they both also have the capacity to master the tools of others in addition to their own creations. In the Silmarils, Fëanor preserved the light of the Two Trees of Valinor which had been created by Yavanna. Melkor learned language in addition to ósanwë - which is the native form of communication for an Ainu - to communicate with incarnates whose minds weren't open and became quite adept at Quenya. This shows not only adaptability and intelligence on both of their parts, but also that their skill and influence isn't limited to one designated craft or realm. They're not afraid to expand their reach and set of skills to accomplish what they seek to accomplish.

To be continued in part two...

[cbrownjc]

Don't you think that if Louis had said to Daniel something along those lines: "I know human life might not sound appealing to you, in fact if you're honest with yourself you're already down deep and struggling... but it doesn't have to be this way, you can find beauty in yourself and people around you, you can create something beautiful with another person [...]" that that would've worked as a strong enough subconscious incentive for Daniel to actually create maybe not a perfect life but at least a life where he didn't ruin other people's lives and led a life he could actually feel proud of (maybe something along those lines: living as a poor man but with a loving family and trying to live as hero reporter even if not famous; sort of a twist, a combination of what Louis originally said to him - a bright young reporter with a pov - and what I just wrote above - in other words he wouldn't pour all of himself only into his career). At first glance this might reek of mediocrity in all areas but I don't think so, Daniel might've just been able to pull of a healthy work-family balance and a healthy attitude towards himself and others, a hero in his family's eyes.

I don't disagree with you that ofc Daniel had all of the described self-destructive tendencies already in himself but it makes the world of a difference if somebody, especially a frightening, psychotic (to Daniel), powerful ancient vampire points them out to you, especially after Daniel has been through what was the single worst and traumatic experience in his life. People can be highly succeptible to what other people think/say about us in regular conditions, not to say in deeply traumatic one as he was in.

I think with the right words Daniel could've been encouraged to fight and overcome his self-destructive tendencies and not covet the vampire life because he would lose the reason to covet it. I don't think Daniel wanted to be turned into a vampire just because he wanted to use his vampire powers to be some kind of hero; that idea was just an escape for him, an escape from himself, just like drugs. He didn't even think things through when he spurted that, that's why Louis yelled back at his proposal: "have you even been listening to me boy?!!" Because Daniel, as high as he already was, didn't really took the time to actually consider what he was asking for. His statement: "I can be your Lestat, your Claudia [...]" also has that same air of impulsive thinking to it.

Daniel at that time was bright and astute, sure, he had moments of profound insight but that was still unpolished and untrained, a diamond-in-the-rough, that's why he simultaneously had moments of profound clumsiness and inexperience, just as his older version recollects him saying constantly: "[...] and then what?" Surely, there's a big chance his desire to become a vampire was just something made in the spurr of the moment and something he might just have regretted it later.

Hello!

So okay, first of all, I apologize for taking so long to answer this. And with the season being over that will now probably inform my opinion on all of this from when you first asked.

So the thing is I don't necessarily disagree with you. I do think it was possible that Daniel could have been encouraged in that way regarding his life by Louis. And maybe it could have had an effect later in Daniel's life.

But I think the issue is that at least at that moment in time? Daniel didn't put forward an overwhelming desire for that kind of life. Not like how he did about wanting to be a writer/journalist.

You see this in regard to the things Daniel's mind kept using to resist Armand's attempt to accept death. Everything Daniel said outside of just not having any desire to die period was in so way related to being a journalist. Even the "bright young reporter with a point of view" comment was something Daniel said first about himself, not Louis.

I think that shows how much Daniel's own identity of self and self-worth was tied up into being a writer, being a journalist.

Yes, Daniel had a fear about ending up in a relationship like his parents appeared to have, with kids who shied away from him. But I'm not sure that fear was as tied up in his -- then present -- sense of self as being a journalist was for him.

The idea of having a better family life of his own wasn't what his mind went to when trying to resist Armand's death pull. Being that "bright young reporter with a point of view" was.

And I think that may also be the reason Louis also specifically latched onto that when he gave Daniel those words of encouragement -- because they were, at heart, Daniel's own about himself that gave him the type of reinforcement to even in some little way fight against Armand's intent.

So while I do think Louis could have also given supporting words about how Daniel wouldn't have the type of family life he feared, I'm not sure that Daniel himself felt strongly enough in that way about himself -- about himself one day having such a positive framework in contrast to his fear -- that it would have worked. Maybe it would have -- I wouldn't say it never could have, as I don't feel I have enough information about Daniel's family life as a whole to make such a call. But I'm not certain it could have.