#he has been aware of the killer since birth

[tiny-huts]

So I was reading night of the hunter today and it really just specified that Artemis keeps one of his nails super long so he can fucking PICK LOCKS WITH IT IF NEED BE AND? THIS MAN HAS BEEN WALKING AROUND WITH A CRONE THUMB FOR TWENTY PLUS BOOKS? nASTY SINGULAR CLAW? HES SO DERANGED IM OBSESSED WITH HIM.

[citrus-soju]

I already talked about it in this post, but I want to share all of my thoughts properly.

The Metal Masked Assassin (I'll refer to him as MMA) was an incredibly unlucky person when you think about it. His mother passed away right after he was born. It's assumed she either died of blood loss due to birth complications, or she might have even been murdered, due to her baby being born with albinism.

We don't know anything about his father's whereabouts, if he's alive or dead, if he would take his children in if he knew. Either way, he's not in the picture. But unluckily, MMA was "left a brother".

Logically, we can put together that MMA's brother was older than him. We don't know for sure how many years the two siblings were apart, though. Judging by the picture of them as teens, their age difference doesn't appear to be too great. Of course, MMA might simply be tall, even as a teenager, and looking older than he really is.

There's also a possibility that, while both of them are depicted as teenagers in this picture, Agent 216 was actually already an adult while MMA was still young. It would make more sense for authorities to leave an infant in the care of a relative who's over at least 16 years old than leaving two young children completely on their own.

We can only speculate about their childhood years, honestly, since there is not much known at all. They could have been adopted by a distant relative, placed in a foster family, given up for adoption... But one thing is for sure, just from looking at these pictures - Even as teenagers, they were already prone to violence, and already hiding their faces.

Perhaps they got by thanks to armed robberies, perhaps they were already training to be assassins at this age. Personally, I'm voting for the first option, just because their clothes appear to be in a bad condition, holes and all, which is not the case in the image depicting them as adults. Their weapon of choice is also quite different; the bat and axe being more commonly used for self protection or work, and the machete/knife looking much more professional.

But now to the part I've been wanting to talk about.

Let's start with what we know about Agent 216. According to General Crozier, he is a "trained killer". That means, someone, or some kind of organization, must have taken him under their wing and taught him the art of being an assassin at some point. At least as a teenager. It's never specified where the two assassins got their education from. But however and wherever they spent their youth; Agent 216 was most likely the more skilled assassin, considering he's the one the General confides in and claims to be "perfect".

Ah yes, General Crozier. At least as an adult, Agent 216 must have some sort of connection to the US Military, or at least General Crozier directly, since it's him who personally hires him, and then informs MMA about his death later. No other tribunal members are present, nor are they aware that he was hired to kill, not just to spy.

What I find really interesting is that Agent 216 has a tattoo of the FalconBack Project logo on his left arm. Whatever that means. It makes me wonder if he and Crozier have some kind of connection outside of the deal, and if the assassination attempt on Dethklok was more of a personal favor to the General instead of a one time deal. Whatever connection they have was apparently meaningful enough for Agent 216 to get involved in a top secret project led by Salacia himself - but not his younger brother.

This raises a whole bunch of questions, but that's for another day and another post.

So where is MMA in all this? Where was he in all this?

While MMA is a violent person and seemingly has a passion for murder, what stood out to me is that he is never actually seen involved in any assassination related jobs that don't directly involve avenging his dead brother in a way - besides that one time where he's introduced. The people he fixates on besides Dethklok themselves are Klokateers and Charles Ofdensen, in particular. Perhaps that can simply be blamed on MMA's lack of screen time, but I would leave it up to Brendon Small to consider any small detail.

MMA appears to be as goal driven and determined as he is violent, with only a single goal in mind throughout the entire series - avenging Agent 216, regardless of what it may cost. He's willing to dispose of anyone who gets in his way, including his allies (Magnus).

What I'm thinking is... what if he wasn't even a blade for hire before the death of his brother? What if the only reason why Crozier was able to "hire" him was because of his promise for revenge? What if Agent 216 was the "actual" assassin among them, while MMA was more or less a sick and dependent child who simply got caught up in the situation?

This sounds farfetched but hear me out.

Regardless of how they grew up, regardless of what led up to this point; MMA's older brother was clearly very dear to him. So dear, in fact, that avenging him consumed every bit of space on his mind. While MMA willingly recruited people to assist him in his cause, for the most part, he used people who felt wronged by Dethklok for his own gain. Instead of viewing them as likeminded individuals, he saw them as underlings. Even Magnus, who did most of the "negotiating" during DSR, treated Toki's wounds and fed him, was just a puppet to MMA in the end. Once Magnus didn't cooperate with him anymore (claiming that the death of Ishnifus "wasn't part of his plan"), MMA didn't hesitate to show who's the REAL mastermind behind it all ("this was never your plan").

Throughout the series, we definitely saw that MMA has a tendency to use people for his benefit, and discard them once they're no longer useful to him, without any consideration for their feelings, or even their lives. We also learn that he's not much of a "talker" and much rather a "do-er". He leaves all the talking to Magnus, who dramatically goes off to Toki and Abigail about his reasoning, while MMA is in the background only thinking about revenge and his brother.

He seems to do very poorly with things not going his way. He doesn't listen to instructions from Crozier. He refuses to let Magnus berate him. Like a child, he no longer wants to play the game if it's not by his rules.

This is acquired behavior. Which means, somebody taught him that this is the way to go through live. Most likely - his older brother.

While he clearly holds a lot of admiration for Agent 216, it makes me wonder. The contrast between how much he looks up to his brother and how much he looks down on other human beings is stark. It's almost like he looks up to his brother like he's some kind of God leading him on his path, even displaying his body during the torture of Toki and Abigail. He MIGHT just be a crazy dude with a lust for blood who saw an excuse to kill and torture. He MIGHT just be very obsessed with the only person he has a real connection with.

Or perhaps, his brother isn't the good person he views him as.

I believe Agent 216 might have always made MMA feel inferior to him, knowingly or not. Being labeled the "perfect" assassin, the older brother who was kind enough to raise an abandoned baby, the one fending for them. Plus, with MMA having some visible physical deformities, he most likely was the "better looking" one, too.

Perhaps the reason why MMA isn't seen assassinating anyone for other reasons than revenge is that his brother simply took the spotlight. In the best case, Agent 216 merely wanted to protect MMA from this kind of lifestyle, both because he's his little brother who he cared for, as well as considering Albinism comes with a long list of potential health issues, depending on the exact diagnosis. Examples are vision problems, ranging from nystagmus (rapid uncontrollable eye movements) to legal blindness, sensitivity to (sun)light in both eyes and skin, a weaker immune system, a higher risk of infections, premature aging, etc.

Or perhaps all these things were a lot of excuses for Agent 216 to treat his little brother harshly and cast him into the shadows.

Tidbits that made me put this together in my mind would be, for example, the fact that MMA is covered in scars, while Agent 216 is not. Strange, considering that his targets are mostly seen tied up, hanging from hooks or otherwise immobilized. And somehow, all these scars look the same. They all look as if they were inflicted by... a machete perhaps.

In early concept art, MMA is shown with what appears to be burn marks. They almost look as if they were deliberately inflicted on him. The spotting doesn't exactly appear like he got caught in a fire, much rather that they came from separate instances.

And one more thing, which might just be an observation I made that you might disagree with. But as someone who worked with both abused and disabled children in the past... I recognize some of his patterns and behaviors.

Looking up to the one person caring for him without even a second thought. Enduring great pain for their sake. HAPPILY doing so. Not being great at dealing with instructions. Not handling it well when someone disagrees with him or even scolds him. Letting the "adult Magnus" do the talking for him in difficult situations. Struggling to relate to people, perhaps even due to low emotional intelligence, or simply not understanding that people have feelings. Not CARING if they have feelings, possibly. Using people for his benefit, then discarding them like dolls he's done playing with once they're not useful anymore.

All acquired behaviors somebody taught him in his life.

Considering his condition, harsh upbringing and visible deformities, it wouldn't surprise me if he was a younger age mentally. His behavior is almost childlike in ways. The way he phrases things, too. Revengencers, instead of Revengers. The fact that he has these scars, yet his brother didn't have a single one on him.

This might be a reach. A big reach. But what if Agent 216 had him completely wrapped around his finger. All like "I had to endure so much for your sake, so I have a right to take my anger out on you", and perhaps followed up by an "I do this because I love you and because that's the only way you learn". I can see him making MMA feel inferior, for his appearance, for needing food, medication, comfort. Guilty for "killing" their mother. For being a burden. How dare he want love. Isn't it enough that he puts his life on the line for him every day? What is love? Baby don't hurt me

To me, he's a lost, disabled person stuck in a trauma bond with his brother until the end.

[clotpolesonly]

i am still struggling to wrap my head around Niall's motive for keeping his children so isolated from each other. because it had to be intentional. i cannot imagine any way that it could've sprung up organically. Ronan and Declan grew up in the same household, but they had such vastly different childhoods, and such vastly different perceptions of themselves, each other, and their father.

what really gets my goat is that Ronan didn't know that Declan knew about dreaming.

their house was full of dreams! toasters that didn't plug in, calendars full of the same date, Niall waking up covered in blood and flower petals, filling the living room with [whatever it was that needed to get sucked up by that vacuum bag to nowhere, which the kids were drafted to help with iirc]. there was a literal devil with his dick out on their fucking property, and yet somehow, Ronan was under the impression that Declan simply never noticed any of the weird shit that he himself did notice??

it's one thing with Matthew, who was......i won't call him unintelligent cuz i don't think that's true or fair, but maybe uncurious. he wasn't prone to asking questions about things, at least pre-TDT, and he was very trusting and content to accept easy answers from his loved ones. if someone told him not to worry his pretty little head about something, i think he would simply not, so it's plausible that he would just shrug and accept things and move on.

but Declan is curious. he's observant and shrewd and sensible and skeptical, and he has been since early childhood. it strains credulity for Ronan to honestly think he would just not pick up on anything out of the ordinary in the household they both grew up in.

and the question remains of WHY. why couldn't Declan know? why was Ronan not allowed to tell Declan?? and we know that it was disallowed because of the GW (i think) flashback to Ronan's first memory of dreaming, the little book with the sky in it. he brought it to Aurora, Aurora told him to bury it, and Ronan protested that he wanted to show it to Declan. he wanted to be able to share his creations with his big brother, but his mother shut him down.

the dreaming had to be a secret, and Declan was not in on it, and i don't understand why because he literally already knew. both Niall and Aurora were aware that Declan knew about dreaming, but they led Ronan to believe otherwise -- what purpose could that possible have served?

and what did they tell Declan to convince him that it was necessary? it's one thing to withhold information like they did from Ronan, but for Declan to have so much information, and for him to know that Ronan also had at least some of that information, and for him to never let on that they both know it??

Declan knew about dreaming. he knew that Niall was a dreamer. he knew that Ronan was a dreamer. he knew that Matthew was a dream. he knew that Aurora was a replacement mother. he knew what Niall's true business was. he knew why Niall was killed. he knew that the killers were after Ronan. he knew everything, and he never told Ronan a damn thing.

some of which makes sense. every family has secrets and some are more reasonable than others -- Matthew's birth, for example, or Aurora being a copy, are secrets i can understand being kept, at least through childhood. but dreaming as a concept? Niall and Ronan's dreaming in particular? such enormous parts of all of their shared experience, things that shaped their entire lives? fundamental aspects of their identities and the world at large?

we know (in theory, at least) that Niall loved Declan deeply. and that he strove to love Ronan and make Ronan feel loved. so why would he isolate them from each other? why would he leave Ronan feeling deeply, unequivocally alone without anyone to talk to about what he can do? why would he train Declan to lie about every aspect of his life, even to the people closest to him? why would he foster such intense and completely unnecessary separation between his sons?

and what did he say to them to convince them that they couldn't confide in each other? "Declan loved Ronan, and so Ronan lived." "But i want to show it to Declan!" their first instincts were to love and trust each other, but somehow, very early on, they were taught that they couldn't and shouldn't.

it's fucking tragic and i do not understand what the benefit was supposed to be. i'll never understand it.

[wroef]

Theory on how Barbara died and Rick's disappearance. Based partially on/inspired by this post:

https://www.tumblr.com/dilfgmancoolatta/696764411466121216/thinking-abt-what-if-barbara-wasnt-violently?source=share

Okay.

So I saw this post and it sparked this theory of mine.

You see, I never really bought that Rick was responsible for Barbara's death given the fact he was on crutches at the time.

Not to mention the comic is not very reliable (since Edith signed off on it and might not have really liked Rick much, in my opinion).

So.. here's the theory:

They didn't have cellphones back then and Rick probably didn't walk to Barb's. His parents either drove him there or Barb did.

So if she kicked him out and didn't let him call home, he probably decided to suck it up (cause toxic masculinity) and walk home.

Only...

Barbara lives near the ocean. On uneven land. Surrounded by forest. And wild animals.

And it was night.

Rick probably got lost.

And it was Halloween.

It was probably cold.

So either he succumbed to the elements or got attacked by an animal.

Or maybe he went to seek shelter in a cave or went to chill by the ocean. Waiting for his parents to pick him up (if they had drove him) or for Barbara to cool off. Only to fall asleep and get pulled in by the tide.

Hence him disappearing that night.

(My friend pointed out that his crutch was found by the water).

I hear you say... How did Barbara die?

Well. They focus on the skates.

So I'm thinking one of the boys (Walter or the twins or all three) were playing with Barbara's skates before she got home and since the place was cluttered, she probably didn't see them and slipped. Tripping over the railing. Breaking it and falling to her death.

And of course, Walter would be messed up whether he was playing with the skates or not (suggested in the link) because he just saw his older sister die.

And well.

Edie might have blamed Rick for Barbara's death if he disappeared or just for not stopping it since he was there earlier.

Also Walter would be even more messed up because of how strongly his mom believed in the curse after the death of his uncle and grandparents and both his sisters.

And as more deaths started to happen, it'd probably cause a lot of stress. Especially with nobody getting help for him.

I don't know how much of this disjointed mess makes sense but I hope it does make a little sense.

Ooh, this is interesting!

I've never been of the opinion that Rick killed Barbara either, for starters. My guess was the serial killer or maybe some crazed fan(s?) mad that she wasn't able to make her appearance at the convention. I'll need more time to sit on this new theory but I do think it's worth considering

I do wonder though, if we assume that was true, why does he blame the monster for Calvin's death? He arguably has the most cut and dry of Walter's siblings (that he's aware of anyway, him not mentioning Sam makes me think he might not know he died which is :(( but anyway), and while I guess it could be the guilt mentioned I have to imagine that at the very least Sam would try to clear that up? Maybe he did and Walter just didn't believe him, though. It's hard to say. That's something that's bothered me long before I got this ask tbf

As far as the Rick part, yeah him drowning somewhere does make sense. Now that you mention it I wouldn't be surprised if he tripped around that river and cracked his head there.

(Happy birth/deathday queen. RIP Barbara)

-Mod Edith

[princesspastel8]

Chapter 57

Third POV

"He loves me...he really loves me..." she thought to herself, mind in a complete daze as she moved further onto his medical bed, wanting to cuddle.

Jeff was about to embrace her, but the burning looking in his brother's eyes is irking him. He sighs heavily, pushing Eboni back gently, which makes the girl whine a bit. He grins, leaning to run his thumb across her lip - making her pout.

"Give me five minutes to talk to my brother."

Eboni huffs but nods her head. He chuckles, leaning down and pecking her lips. "Then you can lay on me all you want."

She smiles happily, slowly moving out of his bed - EJ joins her side to help her walk out of the room and back into her own. Luna & Iris follow while the male killers stay behind, wanting to hear this conversation between the two brothers.

Jeff grins, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. "Fuck you want Liu?"

"You look like shit." He said flatly.

"Your nose looks like broken. Who'd you piss off to earn that?"

Toby scoffs, moving to lean against the wall near Hoodie. Liu moves closer, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're full of shit."

"What else is new?"

"You almost died! And for some bitch? Really Jeff?"

Jeff's eyes hardens, his body leaning forward threatening. "Watch it, Liu, unless you want another new set of snitches."

He laughs, shaking his head. "Damn...she really has fucked with your head."

"My head was already fucked. She's just made shit way more...entertaining. Her pussy's great too." He smirks.

"You said you loved her, Jeff. We all know that's a load of bullshit."

"How would you know? We all love in different ways Liu-"

"You're incapable of loving anything, Jeff. All you do is take. You took our parents' lives and tried to take mine. You killed every pet I had for kicks. You're just going to end up killing her, too. So spare her your shit and kill that bitch alr-"

Despite his pain, Jeff reaches over for a scalpel and lunges at Liu. However, EJ steps in and pushes Jeff back down, making him groan in pain. The smiling killer chuckles breathlessly before speaking.

"I'm the only one...that gets to call her that. You don't know shit Liu - not a goddamn thing."

"I know enough. You don't love. That doesn't exist in your vocabulary. Everything that you do is for personal gain. I don't know why you have a fascination for this girl - but dying for her is out of the question!"

Jeff tilts his head, grinning wildly. "You and your secret big brother complex as been entertaining for awhile but now, its fucking annoying."

Liu frowns, his hands twitching at his sides. "....what are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. You've been so attached to me since birth - like a leech trying to drain the life out of me. Always copying me, trying to find your own identity through me and mom. That's why you still wear her damn scarf. That's why you got all those personalities from. Just shards of different people trying to form into one. Wanna know why Sully came to be?"

Liu is very aware of the multiple personalities roaming around in his brain. Sometimes, he'll hear them talk to one another, even argue over who wants to take control - but the most violent, the most controlling one is Sully. He can feel him trying to push himself forward, eyes dilating.

".....Why?"

"That little monster in your closet told you. Sully came after I 'accidentally' pushed you down the slide. Your fucked up brain made him to protect you from me."

"Liu...still can't get the job done." Sully grumbles, voice distorted as he pulls out his knife. "So I WILL!"

He lunges onto Jeff's bed, raising his knife above his head about to strike. The smiling killer doesn't move, taunting Sully with the look in his eyes. Hoodie lunges and pulls Sully to the ground. Toby tackles him, earning a stab to his shoulder that he can't feel.

After a few minutes, Liu gains back control - out of breath thanks to Sully struggling against Toby and Hoodie. As Liu stands, composing himself- Jeff lets out a loud laugh, holding his chest in pain.

"Ah fuck....you really thought you had the right to talk about my choice in who I play with when you can't even control the personality that made you a killer in the first place!"

Liu shakes his head, sighing heavily. "Just...why her? What made you suddenly give a shit about someone... like her? So much so that you're so quick to die? You had us, your family! So what makes her so different!?"

"My god Liu - you fuckers always made me feel suffocated! 'Oh be careful of Jeff.' 'Oh be mindful of him- keep Liu away, don't work him up' 'Something is off about him' 'Why is he so- unhinged?' blah blah BLAH- FUCK!" Jeff sighs heavily.

He places both hands on his face, peeking through them with crazed eyes and cheeks a rosy red. "She makes me feel...so damn free. I was going to kill her - I was, but she actually fought me. She didn't accpet the inevitable. She didn't scream and cry like a pathetic, worthless piece of shit. Ah...she danced for me that day- on those fucking rollerblades. She sang that night - her voice is so...aaahhhh."

Jeff sighs, in his own Eboni filled trance. "Her eyes, those big fucking eyes. The way she looks at me...they sparkle. Literally - I can't make this shit up! The way she pouts when something doesn't go her way - her whines... the way she says my name. Her lips taste so damn sweet, like strawberries...her body - shit she's so hot, always been. Her skin, her ass- those fucking tits, why the hell wouldn't I die for that? I got to hit it one more time before then- I would've gone peacefully if-"

"If you were confident enough on the hold you have over her." Liu finishes.

"Yeah....Yeah, saying I love her isn't enough. She's gotten way to soft, and you fuckers don't make it any better. She needs to be under my thumb - at my beckon call. I should be the only one on her mind every second of every day. No one else should matter in her life - but me. I'm the only one she should care about, so yeah, Liu, I guess you're right."

Liu blinks his eyes a few times in disbelief. "....right about?"

"Dying for her is out of the question. For now, I can't help that she gets herself into bullshit when my eyes aren't locked on her. But I'm sure she learned her lesson this time." Jeff looks at Toby, EJ fixing up the stab wound to his shoulder. "Maybe that witch of yours will fuck off with time before I have to cause a scene."

Toby chuckles, shaking his head. "Don't get to over your head."

"You forgot who you're talking to. Jeff is always in over his damn head." BEN snickers, water getting splashed onto him - making him glitch around.

"Just you fuckers watch. I'll have her clinging to me like her life depends on it." Jeff lays back, staring at the ceiling with his signature crazed smile. "'Cause it sure as hell does."

Meanwhile, with the three girls, Eboni is resting in her hospital bed - replaying Jeff's words over and over again, still in deep awe. "He loves me...he really loves me." She whispers out loud.

"No, he doesn't. It's another manipulation tactic." Luna sighs, pitching the bridge of her nose.

"No, it's not!" Eboni shouts, sitting up from her bed - wincing in pain from moving to fast.

"I-I dont know Eboni. M-My sister is never wrong about these things."

"Of course you'd believe your 'all-knowing' witchy sister." The girl scoffs rolling his eyes. "Jeff pointed something out earlier."

Luna sighs, moving to sit on the edge of her bed. "Which was?"

"He noticed everything. I tried to hide it from everyone. The Red Riders gang has been following me ever since I got back home. You all view his actions as controlling and manipulative, but I see it as him trying to protect me. Sure, it can be overbearing- but after today... after what he did... I can deal with it. H-He almost died because I didn't listen to him because I pushed him away. But he doesn't blame me! He forgave me - he even said he loves -"

"Are you skipping over the part where he threatened your life? Or the part where he'd cut you into pieces?" Luna said flatly, her face blank and unimpressed.

Eboni furrows her eyebrows, "...no..no I didn't but -"

"There is no buts, Eboni. I warned you before, and I'll say it again - your life will continue to be put in danger until it's taken from you. He will ruin your life and cause your downfall. Something impactful is coming to your life - don't let him come. Talk him out into coming with you."

"What the hell are you talking a-"

"Just! Trust me, Eboni, please." Luna reaches over, taking the girl's hand into her own eyes, holding desperation. "Please, Eboni.."

Eboni stares at Luna, almost slipping, but Jeff's words quickly rope her back in. "No one... has ever died for me before. No one has ever risked their life for me. A gun was held against my head, I was almost beaten to death. I was...ready to die, but he saved me. He loves me. Jeff thinks so highly of himself and always puts what he wants ahead of others. He's selfish, I know - I know all of this already Luna...but..."

Eboni pulls her hands away from Luna's, struggling to move out of bed - placing both hands over her mouth as she stares ahead at the door, wanting to be with Jeff right now. "His eyes, the way they darken whenever he gets angry. It's so hot...that craved smile. He hates that was done to him, but he embraced all that happened - all that made him, him. The way his touch feels so cold, yet so burning hot. The way he holds me in his arms, I've never felt so safe before. When he said he loves me...my heart was beating so...so hard. I've never felt this way before - for anyone."

Eboni stands, limping to the door. Iris tries to help, but Eboni turns her down, leaning against the door frame for support. "I'll never feel this loved from anyone ever again. And for once I'm going to enjoy it, bask in every ounce of love he gives me." She smiles sickly, laughing to herself - tilting her head to look at Luna. "And no one is gonna stop me. No one is gonna keep us apart. Jeff says it all the time, and after today... I finally agree with him."

"Jeff. You should really reconsider -"

"God Liu, why are you still here!?" He shouts. "I already told you I dont understand why she's able to drive my heart up the fucking wall! I don't get it...but fuck I sure as hell don't hate it."

Eboni moves to open the door to Jeff's room, leaning against the doorframe for support and out of breath. EJ's eyes widen, quickly going to aid Eboni, but she refuses his help.

The girl looks at Jeff, pouting her lips. ".....five minutes are up."

The smiling killer chuckles, holding his arms out. "Then come here. I am a man of my word."

Eboni limps towards him, ignoring the pitied looks given to her by the other killers. She slowly crawls onto his bed, melting into his arms. Jeff sighs, leaning his head back onto the headboard. He runs his fingers through her messy hair, plating kisses to her forehead and cheeks.

Jeff looks up, glaring at everyone. "Get the fuck out."

"But Jeff, please just -"

"Get. Out. Liu. I told you this before, and I'll say this shit again. I want nothing to do with you."

Liu sighs heavily, running his fingers through his hair in angered strokes before storming out of the room. Everyone else followed suit, EJ informing that he'll be back in the morning to check on them. Eboni yawns, rubbing her eyes and snuggling closer onto Jeff.

Jeff moves to lay down, with Eboni still close to his side. "Go to sleep, princess."

"...please say it again, Daddy...I'll sleep after you say it."

Jeff grins cockily, chuckling. "I love you, princess, more than anyone else can - remember that."

"Yes, Daddy, I will... I love you too so much."

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Kathleen Stock

Published: Apr 10, 2024

A few months ago, alongside other proud parents, I sat watching my teenager’s GCSE drama class showcase: a dozen short plays, devised and performed with gusto by small groups of pupils. In terms of theme, there was a definite attraction to the darker side of life; indeed, in nearly every play there was a hair-raising death. Another repetitive strand — at least, in pieces written partly or wholly by the girls — was the shoddiness of men’s behaviour.

One character struggled to find the kettle after his wife had died, having never used it before; another was violent to his family; and what viewer could forget the fiendish theatre manager, forcing dancers to take stimulants so that they could work longer hours? Worst of all, though, was the policeman who was also a serial killer, dramatically strangling his detective wife on stage after she discovered he was the culprit. There were also quite a few impassioned speeches about the prevalence of patriarchy and misogyny in society.

At the final curtain, I looked around at the mild-mannered, supportive fathers in the audience, many of whom had cut work short to be there. What could these men have done to their children, I wondered. Or, more seriously: was it possible to give young women today some awareness of male violence without causing them to write all men off?

I remembered this moment as the topic of political polarisation among young people hit the news last week. Across the world, Gen Z is fracturing along gametal lines like no generation before it, with females tending to be more progressive and males espousing more conservative positions. In fact, this trend has been noticed by analysts for decades, but it has gained urgency recently in combination with concern about declining birth rates. After all, if many young women are insisting they will never kiss a Tory, while more and more young men are becoming Tories, then in terms of future population figures we may be in more trouble than was first thought.

Various explanations have been offered for the deepening division. Some of them are useful: emphasising the unhelpful role of social media, for instance, or the decline of traditionally male-associated jobs. Other theories give an inadvertent clue to the underlying problem, in that they tend to present young women’s attraction to the modern left as positive-sounding or at least reasonable, while the increased conservatism of young men is couched as stemming from petty resentment and personal insecurities.

So, for instance, we are told that young women tend to be in sympathy with progressive causes because they still shoulder the burden of care work and so better understand the importance of looking out for one another; or because they are more keenly aware of inequalities yet to be eliminated in the sexual arena. Young men, on the other hand, are thought to feel emasculated and inadequate by women’s social empowerment and wish to return to a more traditional setup in which their dominance is more secure. Plus they are watching too many Andrew Tate videos.

In a nutshell, then, young women’s political views are taken seriously but young men’s are framed as a result of maladaptive psychology and an inability to cope with loss of status. If this is the calibre of explanation offered, no wonder the latter are feeling hacked off. There should be parity here: either we psychologise both sides of the ideological divide, or neither.

And explaining female progressivism away psychologically would be easy enough to do. Since today’s left seems largely to be interested in dismantling social norms rather than standing up for any, its allure for young women could be explained in terms of high levels of feminine agreeableness and a confusion between being socially permissive and kind.

An alternative line of inquiry might be those studies suggesting a woman is more likely than a man to make a political stance part of her social image, incentivising her to feel animosity towards opposing positions as part of identity differentiation. If this were true, it would mean that many of her political affiliations were formed reactively in response to those of perceived male opponents — which would make her look somewhat resentment-fuelled too.

In fact, we might even suspect that the mutual animosity between women and men came first and their respective voting patterns second, as a symptom of their rivalry and not a cause. In her 2017 book Kill All Normies, Angela Nagle described how the toxic aggression of the male-dominated online right emerged as a psychic counterpart to the passive aggression and self-righteousness of female-dominated online spheres like Tumblr, full of posters obsessed with identity politics “calling out” behaviour they didn’t like. And there’s still a sense today that each side is locked in a dysfunctional dance with the other, taking extreme cases in the opposite camp as proof of their own suspicions of victimhood, and moving further apart in the process.

But though hypotheses like these may be interesting, if the aim is actually to solve the problem, they won’t get us far. Reducing division requires a charitable understanding of why people on each side feel as they do: empathy, not in the superficial sense of mindless cooing, but looking for what is reasonable in each side’s conclusions and taking their points seriously — even if ultimately you disagree with them. Only that way will we be able to uncover shared goals.

If it is true that young men want a return to more traditional gender roles, then why do they want this? What do they think will be better about the world as a result? Are they right? And the same goes, of course, for the views of young women attracted to the progressive end of the spectrum. Older generations can do their bit by avoiding indulging in caricatures of the opposite sex as a whole, no matter how satisfying it feels in the moment. Like it or not, we are stuck with each other; we may as well try to find common ground.

Always look on the dark side of the asteroid

Back in the late Nineties, friends I knew would rhapsodise about chaos theory between spliff drags, and the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings might accidentally cause a tornado on the other side of the world. This week brought us an updated example of unintended consequences: Nasa has deliberately blown up an asteroid as part of an attempt to protect the Earth from future strikes, and in the process set huge boulders on course to smash into Mars. Who knows what further chains of possibilities will now be disrupted or unexpectedly set in motion? We might have inadvertently wiped out a race of Martians, or perhaps hastened their arrival as our overlords instead.

Only time will tell. In the meantime, it’s a salutary reminder of what seems a trend: those with power to change things focusing optimistically on the best possible outcome and not the worst. Perhaps we can’t stop the effects of butterfly wings, but we could at least pay more attention to predictable negative outcomes of interventions. Lockdowns are a case in point — it wasn’t hard to foresee they would have a horrible effect on kids, and indeed several experts were shouting it from the rooftops at the time. Still, it was as if leaders’ minds could only focus on one or two big problems at once. Equally, as AI now transforms the economic and social landscape, I feel under-confident that its cheerleaders are addressing obvious downsides. Perhaps the Martians will do better when they eventually arrive.

In the 1990s, friends of mine would rhapsodise about chaos theory between spliff drags, and the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings might cause a tornado on the other side of the world. Now we have an updated example of unintended consequences: Nasa deliberately blew up an asteroid as a practice run for protecting Earth from future strikes, and in the process set huge boulders on course to smash into Mars. Who knows what further chains of possibilities will now be set in motion? We may have inadvertently wiped out a race of Martians, or perhaps hastened their arrival as our overlords instead.

Only time will tell. For now, it’s a salutary reminder of what seems a trend: those with power to change things focusing optimistically on the best possible outcome and not the worst. Perhaps we can’t stop the effects of butterfly wings, but we could at least pay more attention to predictable unfavourable outcomes of interventions.

Lockdowns are a case in point — it wasn’t hard to foresee they would have a horrible effect on kids, and indeed several experts were shouting it from the rooftops at the time. But it was as if leaders’ minds could focus on only one or two big problems at once. Equally, as AI now transforms the economic and social landscape, I feel underconfident that its cheerleaders are looking into obvious downsides. Perhaps the Martians will do better when they eventually arrive.

[ Via: https://archive.today/gGXMV ]

==

Imagine if these plays had the sexes switched.

Demonizing men has become so normalized, people think it's actually true. But if you can vilify half the population with complete impunity and normalcy, that half is not "oppressing" you. In fact, it would appear you hold all the societal power. You can't be both "oppressed" and a protected class.

[animegirlspongebob]

Hey Viper!!! I’d love to here about ur OC’s

oh wow oh wow thank you so much!!!!! okay there’s like a lot so sorry if this is long and incoherent im extremely excited about them all.

so!!! since they’re from slivering ghost town, i have to introduce some ocs that aren’t new, but i haven’t talked about them yet. also be aware that slivering ghost town takes place 16 years into the future!! (also some characters i mention while explaining are my friend’s ocs)

first up, there’s Vanilla! Vanilla’s biological parents are Michellis and Salem, although it’s widely believed that she was born to Michellis and Button. however, Michellis and Button died not long after Vanilla was born. so since then, she’s been raised by Button’s son Snake, and his boyfriend Sparkle! Vanilla’s nice, but a bit too nice, often prioritising others happiness over their own. they are 16 in SGT, and can see all ghosts!

then there’s Lottie! Lottie’s biological parents are Tessa and Anthony, but Tessa died also not long after her birth, and Anthony died when she was five, so she was also adopted by Snake and Sparkle! Lottie is very low energy, and struggles expressing herself properly. she takes it upon herself to look after the entirety of her friend group. she’s 16 in SGT, and can see some ghosts!

then there’s Doubloon! Doubloon is Sal and Goldie’s child, which makes her Otto’s grandchild! she, like her father, is a rowdy little pirate! unlike her father she can at least not throw chairs at people. she knows very well how to use a sword, though! she’s 13 in SGT, and can see all ghosts!

then there’s Chester! Chester is Candie and Onion’s child, making him Snake and Hudson’s younger brother! (he also has an older sister, but you’ll see her later on this list). Chester’s a sweet little man, but he’s frightened rather easily. he enjoys baking quite a bit! he’s 11 in SGT, and can see all ghosts!

and finally (kinda…there’s another kid whos one of the main ones, but she’s my friend’s oc, so i can’t go into detail on her) Medic! Medic is Doc’s younger child, and she’s nonverbal! she’s often bullied by her older sister, Bandaid, for various reasons. she’s pretty shy, but likes to help people as much as she can. she’s 11 in SGT, and can see all ghosts!

NOW, onto the actual new ones you asked about!

first up, there’s Apple!! Apple is Dahlia and Cheri’s kid! unlike the other parents on this list, Dahlia and Cheri are not in any kind of relationship! they were just uh…..getting a bit silly day if you catch my drift!! luckily for Apple there’s no tension between them and they get along fine. Apple however, wants to be more then just “the kid of that weird alcoholic and that weird mortician”. they aren’t the fondest of either of their mothers…..but they’re 13 in SGT, and can see some ghosts!

next there’s Charlotte!!!! Charlotte is Chester’s older sister i mentioned earlier, making Snake and Hudson her older brothers too!! Charlotte is one of the most rational of the group, and tries to keep them out of trouble. keyword: TRIES. but she’s a very lovely girl!! she’s 14 in SGT, and can see all ghosts!!!

then there’s Gracelyn! Gracelyn is Guts’ younger sister, and while she keeps a calm and stoic exterior, she’s extremely anxious. just like her older sibling, she unfortunately has, for lack of a better term, mommy issues. she’s 16 in SGT, and can see all ghosts!

and finally, one of my FAVOURITES, Sydney-Rose!!! Sydney-Rose is Lucy and Tobias’ child, but unfortunately for little Sydney, her dad dies when she is very young….possibly right in front of her. this is probably why she’s so angsty today, remaining quite a mystery to the rest of the kids. despite this, they treat her as apart of the group, which is nice of them. most people are still quite weary of her, due to her odd behaviour, “scary” appearance, and the fact that both of her parents are known serial killers. she’s 15 in SGT, and can most ghosts.

technically there’s more! but those are my friends ocs, so i can’t go into detail about them! im sure you’ll meet them all eventually, though!

[fancyfade]

Hi, since you read more comics than me. How do secret societies work in dc? I know about the court of owls, but like any details of what the League of Shadows did centuries before Batman? Ra’s other enemies? Or how the criminal underworld work internationally?

I want to write a story where heroes talks about conspiracy theories and Damian causally disapproved or explain them due to him being Ra’s grandson.

Surprised no one did something with him seeing the court of owls as a “bootleg” version of the league.

I'm not super familiar with most secret society lore in DC. Or what separates a secret society lorewise from a criminal organization that just tries to avoid detection.

I do know that the Court of Owls plays into antisemitism (link). Like I'm not sure what more to say about it there. They are retroactively treated as responsible for a lot of stuff in Gotham.

Damian's interactions with them I'd say are not necessarily on them being a rip off of his grandfather (more on ra's' motives soon), he expresses empathy for the talon IIRC before beheading him XD (Like "oh we both are born as killers and raised to do the bidding of other people"), and he tries to cheer dick up after dick fights some talon and learns he was supposed to be one (link).

for League of Shadows... I know that the live actions movies cast them in like a 'responsible for various historical happenings' stuff, but I think in the comics* Ra's is normally portrayed as someone who tried to use historical events he interacts with to achieve his goals, rather than being portrayed as the driver behind those events... like we see him fighting against Napoleon in RRAG, and either against or with the Nazis depending on the comic in WWII, but I don't think we get to "So clearly Ra's and his league caused this to happen"... tho maybe he caused a holding out until reinforcements and lack of surrender for the fighting against napoleon guys? I can't remember.

anyway he clearly *wants* to be the driver behind current political events in his initial appearances, however the writers are very vague on what his exact goals are until Mike Barr establishes him as a willing to commit mass murder for environmentalism.

in some comics, Ra's is implied to not have been being League of Shadows-y the whole time. I think Birth of the Demon (which was out of continuity, I have no clue where it's status is now) implied that Ra's had many different lives (as in jobs, not reincarnation)(link). However I'm also sure this is later contradicted by future canon.

WRT Ra's' other enemies, the Order of St Dumas *is* portrayed as having influenced some historical events, including discrediting alchemy, which totally works in DC universe. They presumably are good at detecting people who try to infiltrate their ranks, b/c Ra's mentions having tried to get someone inside and the guy gets killed, and we also see some high ranking catholic church officials being aware of their existence (in a like "These guys suck" way), when Bane goes after some of them in Bane of the Demon to try to track down Order of St Dumas.

WRT exactly how secret societies work in DC... NGL, they probably just work how the writer wants. If you can't tell from previous rambling, the League already has inconsistent lore. It's very easy for writers to be like "oh secretly whatever happened was because of my scary new society".

I think Identity Crisis got a little bit more into criminal underworld stuff, but that was also during the society of supervillains era where they were all teaming up in the prelude to infinite crisis, so there's no guarantee they'd be that organized in other times. In this time, Calculator is working kind of as an information broker for all of the supervillains and hooking people up with different jobs.

This is very much a POV of "What happens in DC canonically", i haven't gotten much into real-world conspiracy theories about secret societies (except for those I've heard people discussing already) and how that affects writing, because I don't feel very knowledgeable about that topic.

*that I've read, I haven't read every single one

[kpmatthewskidd]

[ e.r. fightmaster, nonbinary, they/them ] - was that K.P. MATTHEWS-KIDD i saw by the lighthouse today? i heard that the TWENTY-EIGHT year old who has been in nightrest for THEIR WHOLE LIFE and works as A TATTOO ARTIST AT PERMANENT RECORD has a reputation of being HELPFUL, but also SARCASTIC. they reside in LOW POINT & people in town usually associate them with THE SMELL OF DRIED INK, COLOR-STAINED FINGERTIPS, and THE STARS THAT FILL THE GALAXY. let’s hope the killer doesn’t go after them next. [ penned by sen, 18+, they/them, cst / gmt-6 ] [graphics template by eternal summer]

BASICS: FULL NAME: K.P. (Kip) Matthews-Kidd NICKNAMES: K.P. (no one calls them Kip) DATE OF BIRTH: 1995.12.14 AGE: 28 HOMETOWN: Nightrest, MA ORIENTATION: Aroace GENDER: Nonbinary, they/them ETHNICITY: American OCCUPATION: Tattoo artist at Permanent Record

PHYSICAL: FACECLAIM: E.R. Fightmaster HEIGHT: 6'1" BUILD: Tall, thin SKIN: Tan(ish) HAIR: Light brown EYES: Light blue EXTRAS: Tattooed right sleeve

PERSONALITY: + traits: x - traits: x

BACKGROUND:

They first picked up a tattoo needle when they were seventeen and have been teaching themselves ever since. Eventually, they picked up the job at Permanent Record just so they could keep doing it—and earn money for what they already enjoyed doing. Their favorite thing to tattoo is stars.

They have a younger sibling—their mom had a child before she met their father—who was very much a goody-two-shoes, so they were always known more as the bad kid. Smoking, alcohol, you name it—the only thing they never touched is drugs. Can’t stand the stuff.

Their childhood was boringly average. Their grades were on the lower end, and they were regularly outshone by their younger sibling. They felt like they were never enough for their parents, and so they decided to ignore them altogether.

K.P. didn’t realize they were despised until they came into contact with their half-brother. They weren’t even aware they had a half-brother until they were about eighteen, but it certainly explained why their father hadn’t been around for the first few years of their life.

They know a vague amount about their father’s drunken past, but honestly don't care enough to look into it. It’s not like he was ever rough with them, anyway. 

They very quickly learned that their half-brother did not like them, and have decided to be an equal bitch in return. They’re not outright rude to him, but they can certainly give as good as they get.

They aren't very close to either of their siblings, half- or otherwise. They're pretty much a lone wolf, in general: not known for settling down.

PERSONALITY:

They’re a hardass, no two ways about it. Sarcastic, blunt, slightly uncouth, just wild. Rough around the edges, for sure.

Pretty easy-going, but their whole demeanor changes the minute you talk about art. They did, in fact, get an art degree when they got their tattoo license, and they would be more than 100% willing to sit and talk philosophy and art symbolism for hours with you. It’s the easiest way to distract them: start talking about the meaning behind still lifes or art history and they will talk for hours. HOURS.

They’re also very serious about their craft. They take it seriously: ink is permanent, they know that more than anyone, hence the reason they always wear crew socks—there may or may not be a couple of embarrassing tattoos on their ankles from when they were practicing. They will sit with you and sketch out that design forever. You’re sure that’s what you want? Let’s go then. NOT the artist to go to for silly, drunk tattoos. Take their apprentice up on that one.

HEADCANONS:

They have a motorcycle: she’s their baby, and her name is Louise. They love her very much. <3

The K.P. of their name actually just stands for their name: Kip. It’s not fancy. They just prefer K.P.

Definitely had an emo-rock phase. Probably never left it, to be honest. Still listens to rock, for sure. The emo’s negotiable.

Can be found wandering the streets at night or sitting on a curb with a cigarette, watching the stars. Will likely complain about light pollution to you if you attempt to engage in conversation.

Aroace. Because I say so. So there.

[high-caliber-bitch]

The gatekeeping around parenting is one of the most obnoxious things. I once had to listen to a co-worker talk about his horrible treatment of his son, I believe seven, who had nighttime bladder control issues. I haven't birthed children, sand this was before my step children came into my life, but I know so much about children and parenting. Bladder control issues are extremely common, and the number one piece of advice is DO NOT MAKE YOUR CHILD FEEL SHAME. There is quite literally a physiological reason for the problem and it has nothing to do with self control. It is a common developmental problem that most children will grow out of, it just requires time and patience. But this father thought he was so wise and was talking about how he was going to make his son wash his own sheets and clothes if he had an accident. Now completely separately I do believe children should understand how to use the washer and dryer because any skills that add to their ability to be independent are good for their confidence and developmental, just good so around, but not how it was being presented to this child. This child is old enough to feel embarrassed about his issue, but under no circumstances should he be made to feel bad or worse about something he literally has no control over. It would be like ridiculing your child for red hair. His father was so disgusted by him peeing the bed that he came up with this whole plan to make his son clean up after himself instead of taking the 10 seconds to Google "seven year old pees bed almost nightly" and find that the first fucking article that pops up is about the reason it occurs and how you're supposed to handle the situation from a psychological stand point that keeps the child in mind because how you handle situations is extremely important.

I had a garbage mother whom I spent a lot of time with and can trace back most of my issues to. As a result I've been reading about and studying child developmental psychology as a personal hobby. I don't want to fuck up my kids like I was fucked up and I don't want to inadvertantly hurt someone else's kids either. I was an undiagnosed ND child with a mother that had her own undiagnosed issues and that's not an excuse. You don't have to know or have words to describe what is wrong with you. You owe it to your children to be a good parent regardless of how you came to that position. I've been reading about child development since I was seventeen because I wanted to understand what was wrong with me and prevent doing the same thing my grandmother did to my mother and my mother did to me. I chose to make myself more aware of how children are affected because I didn't want to inflict any more pain. I broke the cycle because of basic human decency.

There are so many full grown adults in this world taking out their petty issues on their children because they can't take the time to stop and think about how their actions might affect others, just because no one did that for them. My husband should be the poster child for "how to fuck up your kid." He quite literally has a serial killer background, yet by some miracle he chose to be an amazing and selfless father when saddled with parenthood while he was still a child himself. I don't understand how these people go about parenting without thought. I shouldn't have to be ND to be like "I don't know enough about this issue to respond appropriately" and so before inflicting my will upon minors in my care I fucking do some research. Not every issue has to be a deep dive. But you can take 10 minutes to find an appropriate approach.

I'm still learning, and I'm so terrified of making my daughters hate me. Their lives are so stressful and they don't deserve any of it. I am so powerless as a step parent. But regardless of my feelings and fear I'm not going to take it out on them. It's sad that respecting your children as people is an unpopular take.

[slivertm]

LADY JIA YRONWOOD ; LADY of THE DUSK COURT

‘ courtney eaton, cis female, she/her, 28 / 280 , high fae ’ ― cauldron save you. it seems jia yronwood has been teleported to the dusk court, the lady from dusk court is said to be studious and is said to describe themselves a laugh with the same intonation as a snapping branch ; to be aware of the stars but never dream of touching them ; begging for her chance to be the saviour, tired of being the damsel and with all of this in mind their trepidatious nature always seems to get them into trouble. may the mother hold them as they navigate this unthinkable time. 

full name: yronwood zhōu jia name meaning: beautiful, ausipicous age: two hundred and eighty place of birth: the dusk court gender: cisfemale pronouns: she/her sexual & romantic orientation: unexplored occupation: lady personality traits: introspective, sensitive, moody, deeply emotional, trepidatious, studious, sarcastic abilities: winnowing, bargaining, mind confusion, shadow manipulation

mother: zhōu daiyi father: mikaerie yronwood sibling: yronwood zhōu ihaku extended family: the zhōu high family

height: 5'4" body and build: petite hair color and style: long, dark hair ; typically placed in a meticulous plait before bed but worn loose during the day complexion: shimmering tan skin that reflects a nearly golden, iridescent sparkle about her "this is the skin of a killer bella" eye color: dark brown, a murky gold underneath clothing style: proper, feminine, befitting of her status signature scent: a wash of warm vanilla character inspiration: eeyore, sloane mairi

cw: sibling death

it's easier to say you're an only child, because in a way, you are.

in truth, you were born as the second born to your father and mother who are wealthy in status and joy, but perhaps not so much in luck. they gifted it to you in your name but forgot to leave a little for the rest of them.

your brother was extremely unlucky ( he fell from his dragon in an aerial assault -- don't worry, his dragon swooped upwards in a red blaze and survived ). but, it begs the question: was he unlucky to die, or were the three of you unlucky to be left behind? your parents would have mourned you too, but he would have been the glue to hold everyone together. you have done nothing.

to breathe is to breathe life into your brother's legacy simply because he is not here and you are. but, your brother was he who laughed and you are simply lucky and beautiful. or, lucky to be beautiful. but, we are all beautiful here. so, are you even beautiful?

we're losing the plot here. as you so often do. your mind is a spiral of loose threads and issues drafted in your mental fortress.

it's hard to recall who you were before it all. you were smart. you were bright. you were shy. you might have loved before, but that ember was put out by an immeasurable grief. your brother knew how to coax a smile out of you, but you've been nothing but a hermit since -- trapping yourself in the library, with the rarest of sightings only during the high holy days to show face.

you haven’t willingly shown face in the last decade, but even you can’t help but come out of your tower to look at what the other courts look like. you can’t help but realize that you don’t know what face you present these days.

tldr: u ever seen phantom of the opera? in a way,,,,, she's the phantom

wc: former flame, former friends, in talks of being betrothed, former betrothed, fellow bookworm, etc.

[starry-blue-echoes]

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

I Really Like That A Lot Actually

like. Abbacchio remembers Dio as this horrifying, larger than life monster. He was the thing hiding in his closet, the thing stronger than any living person, capable of stopping time itself, killer of hundreds without a single ounce of remorse

and he had a kid

and at first that horrifies Abbacchio. That such a monster had been living so close, had been in the same city as him for years without him knowing and had apparently had a Stand since birth

but then he learns more about Giorno. About who he is and what his story is, and he becomes conflicted

on one hand, this is Dio's kid........ but on the other hand, that's the important word here, isn't it? Kid. He isn't Dio, and from the sounds of it has no idea who his father even was

he's definitely going to be on edge and there's going to be a LOT of conflicting feelings, but he's at least pretty sure the kid isn't going to stab them in the back at any second

........wait

wait

wait with Speedwagon narrating wouldn't Abbacchio be aware of the Overthrowing The Boss Plans hold on a second-

My friend came up with the au that after Speedwagon died he continued as the narrator for the rest of the parts for fun. He survives the reset to just keep narrating

-oc anon

SHVBHVCHVTFDVDVF

Speedwagon just becomes this omnipotent all powerful being who narrates everything. He knows everything about every person who comes in contact with the Joestar line and his words shape reality itself, even if nobody knows it

can people hear him? who knows, he's just living his best afterlife watching over everyone and seeing their stories unfold

[uncouth-the-fifth]

so glad you got a tumblr couth 🥰 ik you said something about wanting to take ask requests on here, so do you have any smut damian hcs?? :D

I'm guessing you just mean general hcs, so here are the ones I think about most when I write:

at first, Damian has no experience, doesn't want experience, and overall imagines sex as a form of manipulation or conquest. his thoughts on sex are initially unhealthy, but with enough time around good examples like his s/o, those thoughts start to change.

there's bragging. lots of bragging. before Damian even has sex he fucking brags about being good at it, bc he's stupid like that. but to his credit, Damian does know human anatomy so well that he can nerve strike ppl... which means... he definitely doesn't get lost yk 😳 I don't think he brags to ppl he's not comfortable with. He's definitely more of the type to be like, "Of course I'm proficient—pleasuring a woman is mind-numbingly simple."

(if he can think of 980 ways to kill someone w his bare hands then he's has to know at least 20 ways to pleasure them. right?)

when Damian does find the right person to begin with, I think of it two ways:

1. if they're more experienced than him, he'll complain a lot, but he desperately wants to perform well and ends up listening to all (most) of their commands. he talks himself up a lot, but underneath all that he's nothing but soft and nervous. there's not much that Damian isn't skilled in, so he's extra aware of where his failings are. he lets you touch him first. but even if you know more than him, he makes a point to remind you that he's a very, very quick learner. your experience is quickly matched. all he needs is a moment to muster himself, then it'll be your turn on the bottom ;)

2. if his partner has the same amount of practice as Damian does, he will take initiative. he will treat it like a science experiment in the most literal sense, documenting your reactions to his every touch, trying to measure what you like the most. maybe he'll ask to undress you, just so he can marvel at you up close. Damian is a total control freak, too. he wants to be on top, wants to control the pace. every social part is new to him, more so than it would be for a normal person, which leaves him feeling unprepared and nervous. it's when you're pressed close together that those feelings start to loosen. not even he can be truly prepared for the first time, and since his life is so ruled by preparation and the future, that sense of timelessness is really pleasant. he doesn't have to be good the first time, because it's not a test.

(but... he is good. very good. he's not too gentle, but still sweet, giving you time to breathe and kissing your nose ridge when you hiss at his stretch. Damian has never been this close to someone before - he secretly adores it).

i don't see him thinking much about himself until after the first time - his happiness almost comes as a sort of side effect of sex, not a deliberate product. Damian is the grave opposite of selfish (he's not at all kind to himself), so he thinks of himself more as a tool in the process to pleasure you. his mouth is for you, his hands are for you, and his dick is definitely for you too.

after further practice, his s/o kind of trains him to want it for himself. Damian does want to fuck you (desperately), his brain is just programmed to shut away any good feeling. every time he lusted after you, admired you in a sexual way, or thought about you dirtily, his mind just didn't take it.

but when he experiences sex for the first time, it shocks him how intimate and romantic it can be. this whole time, he figured it was more of a mechanical process that ppl pretended was good to make themselves feel better. but Damian's first time is fucking awesome.

it's very healing for him. once Damian realizes that it's a good thing, he fixates on it. he reads articles and books about sex, he makes sure you have it around two times a week (his research suggests that this is the best for a couple of your standard), he mixes it up each time so you don't get bored of each other. it's the total opposite of killing, so Damian pledges a piece of his soul to it.

on accident, he becomes a sex god.

in some versions of canon he's been genetically modified from birth to be "perfect" (in the human-made sense), so his endurance is insane. for this reason I hc him as being very big, which only makes him more of an asshole when it comes to bragging. now, he can actually back it up.

his favorite place is the shower, because of the easy access, the cleanup, and the blatant romantics of it. your hair is slicked to the back of your necks and water runs down your faces as you kiss, like you're dancing in the rain at the end of a romance film. he gets to undress you. he gets to run his fingers through your hair. his shower faces the mirror, so he can make love to you against the glass with a great view. and the soap - fuck, the soap. if he's lucky, you'll let him do the cleaning, so Damian can caress and stroke the white, foamy bubbles down your chest and belly... if you're not joining him in the shower, it's definitely something he thinks about. in detail. with his cock in hand.

alternatively, the couch (because any sitting sex position drives him wild), counters, desks, poolside or in nature. you've never survived a picnic with him.

in general, Damian seems like a cranky partner, but it only takes him a few minutes to start moaning like he means it. he would rather be romantic and slow, giving you his cock inch by inch, than fuck you rough. but he's not opposed to a little bruising.

he's definitely not opposed to oral. in fact, it's his speciality. Damian opens and closes the session with his tongue inside you, and often uses it as a destressor. He's very "hard working."

it takes him a while to work up to a blowjob, but admittedly, he loves the dark feelings he gets from it. Damian loves to see you on your knees. when you hold him in your mouth, the temptation to choke his dick further into your throat is killer. he loves how you gasp for breath once he releases you, chest heaving, his cum drooling from your lips. he loves when you blink up at him all dizzy, when you call him pretty names.

I hc he has a very subtle mommy kink, doesn't mind a little bondage or knife play, loves lingerie or you in his clothes, and would probably die happy if you choked him with your thighs.

he'll fuck you for genuine hours, all he wants in return is some cleanliness. you lay down a towel, you keep a bowl of hot water nearby, and he'll go crazy on you.

[evilratlair]

he has been aware of the killer since birth

[jeanandthedreamofhorses]

Ever Since I Was Born: Eren and his Id

Ironically, after writing a very long critique of the ending, I believe I have found a way to redeem it. Isayama’s comments on the manga ‘Himeanole’, as well as the analyses put forward by @twilight-paradise88 and @cosmicjoke​, led me down a very interesting path of interpretation that makes the ending - thematically, at least - justified.

In the 2017 Bessatsu Shonen interview, Isayama says this about ‘Himeanole’:

Ultimately, I don’t think the series [SNK] passes judgment on what is “right” or “wrong.” For example, when I read Furuya Minoru’s “Himeanole,” I knew society would consider the serial killer in the story unforgivable under social norms. But when I took into account his life and background I still wondered, “If this was his nature, then who is to blame…?” I even thought, “Is it merely coincidence that I wasn’t born as a murderer?”

Does this sound familiar?

Eren, like the protagonist of that manga, is presented as being a certain way since birth. From the Attack Titan’s power to see the future, we know that Eren bringing about the Rumbling was an inevitability.

The kernel of this idea is preserved in the ending. Although Eren’s motivations become more complex, the core of his being still compels him towards that act of destruction. He cannot understand it, because it is not a logical demand. It is simply the nature of who he is.

The words Grisha tells him at his birth become the driving force of his nature. Eren is, and has always been, someone who fights for freedom at all costs.

That’s why he hurls himself at titans instead of running away from them. That’s why he’s willing to commit a genocide instead of accepting compromise. He was very vocal about this desire in the Final Arc, but his friends wouldn’t take him seriously. They couldn’t understand it.

It is when Mikasa makes the mistake of claiming that Eren saved her from the kidnappers because he is a ‘kind person’ that he becomes enraged.

Because Eren knows the real reason he killed those kidnappers. He tells Zeke as much when they survey the scene together: he did it because ‘If other people are going to steal my freedom, I’m going to steal theirs’. He was made to act by his all-consuming drive for freedom, and not from any kindness.

Being aware of that now, he is angered that she thinks of him as a kind person; because, knowing the future, he can no longer believe that about himself at all.

As Mikasa becomes aware of this side of Eren, she remembers her romanticised memory of him rescuing her differently. She sees much more of the animal in Eren, the primal instinct for freedom pushing him to tremendous violence, even as a child.

The drive for freedom possesses Eren like an outside force. For this reason, he tells us that he’d enact the Rumbling even if the circumstances were completely different. And for this reason, when he tries to abandon Ramzi, he is unable to do so. Logically, there’s no reason to save him, but he just can’t help himself. His instinct for freedom demands it.

It’s telling how we don’t actually see Eren in the act of saving him. It cuts to Eren bringing him back to the camp, and then we see him save Ramzi via flashback. But the point-of-view perspective makes it feel like the events are happening to Eren, rather than being committed by him. It gives the impression that Eren disassociates in these moments as his drive for freedom overrides his self-aware consciousness. In Freudian terms, his id overpowers his ego.

If this is the case, then the above lines from the ending are redeemed. Eren didn’t understand what he was doing at that moment just like he didn’t understand why he needed to flatten the world. It was his nature, his id, taking control.

The sheer power of this id caused Isayama to criticise his own portrayal of Eren in the 2014 interview with Brutus. Isayama’s motivation for turning Eren into a ‘Himeanole’-style character may have been an attempt to justify this ‘flaw’.

I mean, these Titans show up all of a sudden, and he’s not only unafraid, but decides to go kill them? That’s just not a realistic character.

It’s certainly nothing a normal human would do. But Eren, as Isayama goes on to write him, is not a normal human.

Eren completely embodies the ideal of freedom, and for that reason, he is often seen as inhuman: both as a god and as a monster.

Like the ‘Himeanole’ protagonist, Eren was born as something inhuman. This monstrous quality is reflected in his titan power: and, like Eren, the monster into which he transforms is defined by its search for freedom.

Since the Founding Titan’s power obscures past, present, and future, it may even be the case that Eren was influenced by that founding drive of the Attack Titan since he was a child.

But it is not just Eren or the shifters who possess these monstrous qualities. All Eldians can become titans, and so all of them have the capacity for inhumanity.  Eren is different only for understanding and accepting this fact.

Unlike the Marleyan Eldians, who are desperate to atone, and unlike Zeke, who wants to wipe out his own people for being born as monsters that can turn into titans, Eren does not regret the fact of his birth. Staying true to his mother’s words, he believes he was born this way for a reason.

Instead of rejecting his nature, he attempted to use that inherent ‘evil’ to create a better world. 

The id is a powerful tool, and without its powerful emotional energy it’s unlikely we would be able to accomplish anything. Eren’s id desire for freedom was the only way he could endure all the trials he had to go through to reach the final result.

However, it’s dangerous to allow the id to roam freely. According to Freud, civilisation can only function if the ego represses the id: and indeed, Eren’s id desire is the destruction of almost all human civilisation.

In the 2018 Oita 4PM Radio interview, Isayama seems to concur with Freud:

It’s good to doubt yourself. Sometime[s] it is good not to overly believe in oneself. Everyone has a side inside of them that is a cruel person.

The cruel person inside you is your id, and it is your ego which doubts its desires. Armin considered Eren to be a ‘slave to a piece of shit’ in 112 because he thought he was yielding to that cruel person inside him. Knowing that Eren’s ego would never want to hurt Mikasa, Armin believed it had surrendered to the id.

He thought the same thing while watching Eren crush the world. Armin, the series’ prime example of the rational and moral ego, looks down on Eren for allowing his id to run away with him like this.

But we learn in the final chapter that Eren’s ego - the Eren which is recognisable to Mikasa and Armin - was in control all along. He was simply making use of the energies of his id to achieve the goal of his ego, the disappearance of the titan power. Although he didn’t want to die, and he genuinely did want to flatten the world completely, he denied the longings of his id for the greater good.

Accordingly, he relied on his friends to kill him before his id escaped the control of his ego entirely. Just as there was a part of Eren that grieved at his destiny, there was also a part of him that looked upon the massacre with elation.

It is appropriate that Eren’s id is represented by his child self. Childhood is the less developed, more instinctual, and more emotional stage of existence before civilisation instils us with moral conscience and the ego. 

For this reason, Ymir is also represented as a child, as her id of love for Karl Fritz overtook her ego completely. It is only after her ego triumphs over her id that we see her as an adult again.

In that sense, SNK is something of a coming-of-age story. The reining-in of our id is the basis of civilisation. So far as maturity means active contribution to civilisation, it also means the taming of our id.

Eren engineered a situation to stop his id before it was too late. Otherwise, Ymir would never be able to mature and move on from the past, and instead of freeing her from her torment, Eren would join her there as a fellow slave to the id.

In accordance with his vision, the person he entrusted with this task was Mikasa. Mikasa would always stop Eren in the past when his id got out of control, and just so it was her destiny to kill him now.

When Armin learns that Eren had always planned to suppress his id rather than give into it, he is finally able to reconcile with him. So long as Eren prioritised selfless principles over selfish ones, the series’ mouthpiece for the rational ego can forgive him.

The continued presence of the ego in Eren’s mind is hinted at when Zeke goes through his memories. Eren points out his killing of the slavers to demonstrate his id to Zeke, but he chooses not to comment on something else that he notices.

Just as Mikasa said, Eren wrapped that scarf around her because he is a kind person. Remembering her words, Eren looks at the moment with conflict. It is proof of his own decency that his self-hatred struggles to acknowledge. It is also the side of himself that his plan seeks to uphold and protect.

Because unlike the slaver killings, wrapping a scarf around a traumatised girl has nothing to do with Eren’s instinctive drive for freedom. It was an act entirely performed by his ego. The repetition of this act in the original final panels serves to reiterate that Eren’s ego, not his id, proved to be the fundamental essence of who he was.

Although the world remembers him in fear and hatred for the excesses of his monstrous id, his friends remember him fondly for the workings of his ego behind the scenes. By ending the series with words of gratitude for the actions of his ego, rather than words of hatred towards his id, Isayama tells us Eren is redeemed.

This serves as the conclusion to Mikasa’s dilemma in determining whether it is the savage Eren or the kind Eren which is real. The alternate images flash in her mind in 112.

While she is forced to acknowledge the reality of Eren’s id and the fact that it must be stopped by any means necessary, she does not renounce her love for his ego.

Peace of mind comes to her with the revelation that the destruction of his id was the wish of Eren’s ego itself.

But Eren did not come to this conclusion easily. He has been torn between the two sides of himself throughout the series, unsure of whether to listen to his rational ego and heed the advice of his comrades, or follow his id and his individual intuition.

He was punished for relying on his id at Trost, when his solo forwards charge led to his near-death. On the other hand, he was rewarded with the awakening of his titan power - the id incarnate. Against the Female Titan, he regrets trusting in his comrades and decides it would have been better to follow his instincts. Once he does so, he is soundly defeated.

Notably, when Eren indulges his id, his more ferocious and monstrous aspects come out.

Eren continues to vacillate between his two selves with differing results. Just as Levi warned him, the right choice is never made clear.

But in his plan as it worked out, he found a balance between the two. He acted on his own, but still relied on others to stop him. It is because of this balance that the optimal solution could be achieved (or so it is presented).

Put simply: follow your nature, but temper it by relying on people you can trust to do the right thing. In this regard, Eren shows himself to be a true member of the Survey Corps, who not only follow their own dreams, but also carry the dreams of others on their backs. This is best represented by Erwin.

Erwin was only able to bring humanity to this point by selfishly following his id. However, in his last moments, he chose to follow his ego and place others’ wishes above his own. Erwin died a hero precisely because he followed his nature up to the crucial point, and no further. He knew when one must be impetuous and when one must be rational, when one must be selfish and when one must be selfless.

This is the meaning behind the motto ‘Dedicate your hearts’. By all means follow your heart, but dedicate it to the service of the Survey Corps. When the time comes, you must overcome your heart, your id, for the sake of the common good. That, for Isayama, is heroism.

In this regard Eren and Erwin parallel each other, as do Mikasa and Levi. Both placed their ego over their id desire to live, and the Ackermans, though desperate to keep them alive, ultimately respected their wishes and pushed them towards death themselves. Like Mikasa with Eren, it was Erwin’s ego that Levi admired, and so he could not do anything to undermine its wishes. Isayama said in the 2017 Character Directory interview:

The reason Levi always operates alongside Erwin is because he interpreted Erwin’s “For Humanity’s Future” as an altruistic intention that Levi never considered himself [...] When he discovers that Erwin actually has a selfish goal like his “dream,” it can be said that he felt betrayed. However, he also recognizes that this person whom he cannot hope to surpass actually has “an innocent, childlike side that chases dreams.”

Notice the word ‘childlike’, and compare it to the image of the child Eren enjoying the massacre. Eren and Erwin both held onto their dream since they were children, and indulged that id desire well into adulthood.

For both of them, this id desire is represented as a foreign force. The way Erwin describes his dream flashing through his head when he wants to quit is eerily similar to Eren’s explanation of the Ackerman brainwashing.

We now know that there was no truth to these claims about the Ackermans. Instead, it is likely that Eren based them off his own experience of his ego trying to resist his id. Erwin experienced it too; and though it had nothing to do with her Ackerman bloodline, so did Mikasa. Selfishly following her id to protect Eren had been extremely beneficial to the Survey Corps, who needed him alive; but when the time came to kill him, she was able to overcome that desire for the sake of the greater good. 

Likewise the solution to the problem of the series, the titans, comes about only when Ymir puts aside the id that manifested as chains, agony, and loyalty to an external oppressor.

Her ego had to triumph over the force of her desire in order to be free. Mikasa describes her love as a ‘long nightmare’ because, like a nightmare, it was torment she was powerless to stop. Her conscious self, her ego, was subordinated entirely to her id.

This description is reminiscent of the ‘long dream’ Eren wakes up from the start. He, like Erwin, like Ymir, has spent the course of the series stuck in a dream, his body being moved by a force outside his control. This gels well with Isayama’s comments in the 2019 Guidebook interview.

Up until he saw the ocean, he was the “slave of the story”. After seeing the ocean, he became a character that pulls the story along, and his inner psychology hasn’t been revealed yet.

It was only in the Final Arc when Eren’s ego began forming a plan independent of his id, thus achieving freedom from the external force controlling him (which had also pushed the story forward). His definitive shaking-off of the chains of the id, however, comes only at the end of the story, when he closes his eyes again and wakes from the ‘long dream’ that makes up the series.

Ironically, it was Eren’s very drive for freedom which had enslaved him. This is in keeping with Zeke’s reflections on freedom in 137.

Indeed, Levi perceived freeing Erwin of the control of his id as a mercy. 

Ymir smiles as she gains the strength to leave her love behind, and Mikasa, though in grief, bears a very peaceful expression after she overcomes her id desire to protect Eren.

And as Mikasa comes to free Eren of his id desires, his eyes seem to be smiling.

So Eren does accomplish freedom at the end, for himself and the rest of the world alike.

The rest of the world is free because, despite still being riled up in political turmoil, it has been liberated from the titans. The pure titans are driven solely by id, as they possess nothing but selfish desire at the expense of others. It is the progenitor of this unrestrained id which is the story’s true antagonist.

By Zeke’s description, the titan worm is practically the incarnation of the id drive itself. It evolved solely to fulfil the instinctual objectives of ‘life and multiplication at all costs’ that Zeke decries.

Therefore, a series about the importance of restraining one’s id with one’s ego could only end with the defeat and disappearance of this incarnation. The rational and moral voices of the Alliance, and of Eren’s better self, conquer the destructive self-satisfaction of the worm.

This is the central question of both Eren’s character and the series as a whole. Will the ego that makes up your humanity triumph, or will it be the monstrous id represented by the titans? It’s an idea inherent in the very premise of the manga: can humanity defeat the titans? The ending tells us that it can indeed.

Yet without the titan worm, Eren’s plan and the subsequent victory of humanity would never have been possible. In the manner of Eren planning out his own demise, the id must be directed towards its own destruction. This is how Isayama recommends we use our violent and obsessive urges.

Using the id for other purposes is what created the central conflict of the series in the first place, i.e., the titans. Both Eldia and Marley became too invested in the power their id gave them, and Eren had to step in to remove it before the two nations ground the whole world to dust.

The central theme of the ending is reflected in the change of Isayama’s attitude to the story. Like Eren, there was a part of him that genuinely wanted to destroy the world, that wanted to hurt people. He mentions this in the 2014 Brutus interview:

Would you say part of you wished the world would be destroyed?

What, like, “Screw the world, let it all go to hell”? Yeah, I used to really think that quite a bit — like, I’d wonder what it would be like to live in a world without people, like in I Am Legend.

And in the Final Exhibition interview:

I think I wanted to attack something. Like betraying people or hurting people. And, well, it's not exactly nice, but hurting the readers too... In all honestly, I feel that's what I really wanted to do.

However, he ultimately renounced that desire in the name of responsibility towards others. He left his fictional world partly intact, and tried to give the readers a happier conclusion. The moral conscience of the ego conquered the selfish and violent urges of the id. As he says in the 2017 Bessatsu Shonen interview:

Although I’m progressing towards the ending that had been set before, my approach towards the ending itself has changed from the original plans. Because now I feel responsible towards the reader.

Whether he made the right choice is very much up for debate. But in my opinion, if these themes of id and ego were what Isayama was angling for, then the ending is justified. There are still narrative problems and loose ends (Historia’s arc, for instance), not to mention issues of tone and execution. But thematically, I am satisfied. I only wish the ending had made these themes clearer: subtlety’s all well and good, but you shouldn’t need this heavy of an analysis to make sense of a story’s conclusion.

If you enjoyed reading this, you might be interested in these metas too: ‘Life without the Will to Life’ and ‘Levi, Erwin and the Decision to Die’. The former analyses the series’ presentation of the id through the lens of Schopenhauen philosophy; the latter delves more into how the id acts as a foreign, controlling force, particularly with regard to Erwin.

[septemberadical]

I am not close to understanding, I do understand. You want unquestionable faith that your god is real and you speak for him through the bible, and anyone who tries to ask you questions about this god's motivations, ultimate goals, or even where he came from are told they are too puny and stupid to understand. You can justify even the most abhorrent and illogical treatment of others because it's in the divine and, most importantly, ineffable plan and we can't possibly understand it.

For example, your argument is that anybody who opens their heart to Jesus and asks for forgiveness will be granted it and invited into the kingdom of heaven. This kingdom which is presumably the alternative to the hell waiting down below for all the non-believers and there is no middle option like the inventive Catholics espouse. That's a pretty low bar for entry, don't you think? It's well known that Hitler believed he was serving god's interests (certainly killing Jews has been a favourite pass-time of pious Christians so he'll be in good company), and almost every serial killer or rapists or heinous criminal on death row has had the opportunity to see a chaplain prior to their execution and repent. They will all go to heaven. But, unfortunately, because pious Jews or peaceful Muslims, or atheists who have done great works and lived, by all accounts, a virtuous life will be subject to the torments of hell because... why, exactly? And we come back to your answer that we are too stupid to understand it, but it is just since god says so. Why isn't it that those who try their best to live like good people go to heaven and those that don't go to hell? Why is simply 'believing' someone died for our sins enough to get us a ticket to the best seat in the house?

God, I'm sure you will agree, is asking for a lot on blind faith. We have to ignore reason and logic (not to mention overwhelming scientific evidence in biology, geology, chemistry, astronomy, physics, and basically every major discipline that contradicts the bible on topics from the origin of life to the age of the universe and the earth), and believe with no proof that everything the bible says is true (including the earth was created in 7 days, woman was created from man's rib, that a man turned water into wine, and brought himself, and others, back from the dead, among other things - all of which if you told me happened today I'd very helpfully drive you to the nearest mental hospital). And on top of all that, we have to believe it without knowing the reason why any of this craziness is happening?

As for this:

We know the basic facts around Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are corroborated by the best-supported primary source documents that exist for any ancient historical event.

What supporting documents are you referring to? As far as I'm aware there is no record in the Roman Empire, at all, of a Jesus of Nazareth despite apparently having been tried by Pontius Pilate and Rome presumably kept records about those sorts of things. Other features of Jesus' life also fail to measure up to historical scrutiny, including the idea of a national census that led Joseph and Mary back to Bethlehem (censuses were conducted but never on that scale and never forcing individuals back to their great-great-great x10 grandfather's birth city). Or any reports of a 'star' moving across the sky to guide 'wise men' to a manger, or any record at all of the birth occurring or a mass culling of infant boys after it occurred. And it's hard to imagine that there are historical 'records' of resurrection, and lots of people believing something is not any kind of evidence. A not insignificant number of Americans believe that you can tell the future by gazing at tea leaves at the bottom of a cup, and presumably tell their friends all about their insights, that doesn't mean it's true.

Also, not for nothing, but the gospels are far from 'reliable' sources on Jesus and his life. The gospels were written by wealthy Greek converts (as obvious a biblical scholar as you are I'm sure you know Jesus spoke Aramaic and could very probably not read or write, as could most of his original disciples) 30 to 80 years after Jesus' death. At best they are the culmination of a complicated game of telephone that crossed continents, not to mention it's had thousands of years to be edited, changed and completely invented by scribes and church leaders (apparently they don't consider that to be a sin, go figure). (I encourage a reading of Jesus, Interrupted and Misquoting Jesus by Bart D. Ehrman, two excellent summaries of critical bible study and his speciality of new testament studies that goes into so much more detail than what I say here.)

Why does God allow evil to exist?

Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’

And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭24‬-‭30‬ ‭NASB

“But God is perfect and all powerful, why can’t He get rid of the evil without harming the good?”

Because the evil isn’t just “bad people” among us. The evil is in our own sinful hearts. To get rid of evil, He would have to get rid of us too.

In our Baptism, in Confession and Absolution, in hearing the Gospel, and in Holy Communion, we receive the forgiveness of our sins won for us by Christ on the cross. But while we live here on earth, we still live with our sinfulness - though we are no longer slaves to it (Romans 6).

When Christ returns on the Last Day, then we can finally be resurrected in our glorified, perfected bodies and live with Him without sin and all its consequences. That will happen - just in God’s timing, not ours.

It may feel like we are waiting a long time and suffering under the weight of evil in this world, but when we are in the world without end, this life will seem like a distant memory, a blip compared to eternity.

Almighty, everlasting God, Your Son has assured forgiveness of sins and deliverance from eternal death. Strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit that our faith in Christ may increase daily and that we may hold fast to the hope that on the Last Day we shall be raised in glory to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.