#his character is TRULY about nature vs nurture

[ladysqueakinpip]

Bozo (Bodrum) my beloved: 5, 8, 20

Bozo.... me and you both, neb

5. Does your OC have a signature weapon and/or attack? How long did they train to master it?

LOL this is one thing ive had a hard time deciding for bo over the years. I always imagined him using something old fashioned, like revolver-kind. I'm sure he has a cool god tier attack power too but unfortunately I'm also indecisive on GTs!! right now I'm debating between heir of life/heart or knight of heart.

I wouldn't consider him a master of any fighting technique. Too brutish for him. He's always gotten by on highblood strength/status and threatening glares alone.

8. What was your OC’s most embarrassing moment? Does it still bother them or are they able to shrug it off?

Every day of his life is embarrassing. Alekah makes SURE of this. His biggest cringe fail moment in their story tho is how he spends so much time complaining about Akhett (lowblood) being given responsibilities. Bo thinks everyone should Listen To The Highbloods (Alekah and him), but he really just means alekah. he's gonna ride in her wake of power as long as he can.

After alekah dies the whole group just looks to him to be the New Leader since hes been the most vocal about it. And he Does Not Like the Responsibility! At all. So he's put in the awkward position of having to go back on everything he complained about and step down and let Akhett take over for the Good of Everyone. Pathetic.

20. Has your OC ever done something terrible and lied about it? Did they run away or blame someone else for it? How long did they maintain the lie and did the truth ever come out?

Oh my. Also probably every day of his life. This boy is SUCH a poser I CANNOT emphasize how wet and pathetic he is. Its not as much "did something terrible and lied about not doing it to get out of trouble" in his case, but more "he did not do terrible things but lied and said he did to look more intimidating." He puts the fear of the Lord in the lowbloods with empty threats but they're weenies so they believe him anyway. The lie kept up for a while but Alekah saw right thru him and made sure everyone knew he was a weenie asap. And if they didn't figure it out quick enough from her, after she died his ruse fell apart FAST (see above)

[palmettoshenanigans]

also ALSO-

I know the old "AFTG is badly written" jokes but hold the FUCK on for one goddamn second

I have been writing for almost 20 years. I got my college degree in English and the only reason my specialization wasn't creative writing is because I had bad time management skills and missed my chance to do my final creative writing workshop. I'm autistic and Storycrafting and Wordsmithing are my special interests. I understand writing pretty well.

AFTG opened my fucking eyes to a blind spot of the utter craftsmanship of writing sticky characters that infect you with brain worms, and here it is:

The Conflict of Material and Form

AKA the Character Creation version of Nature versus Nurture

"This isn't who I truly am. This is who I've had to become, what I've had to fashion myself into to survive. The original me is buried in there somewhere, if only you knew how to look. If only you knew to look beyond the mask."

Easily exemplified with our fave lil guys-

Neil Abram Josten:

Material: smartass with a smart mouth, attitude problem, cares about people deeply, sharp tongue to cut a bitch with, kinda feral, a lil unhinged, oblivious idiot

Form: quiet and hidden, liar liar pants of fire, run rabbit run, docile and tame, hyper-vigilant and hyper-observant

Andrew Joseph Minyard:

Material: caring, protective, strong sense of justice, gentle even, cares deeply, give me sugar or give me death, yearning

Form: cold, apathetic, ruthless and unforgiving, allow me to introduce you to my knife, regret? don't know her, i want nothing nothing nothing

Why am I using 'material and form' instead of 'nature and nurture'? Because I am a subscriber to "Characters are not meant to be real people; they are mirages of real people meant to encapsulate a function or idea that serves the story". But use whatever terms click with your noggin.

This isn't about 'want vs need'. This isn't about 'lie believed and truth learned'. This is about Presentation and Basic Action - how would this character react here? Which part are they reacting from?

With Material vs. Form, one isn't the 'true' version and the other the 'false' version of the character. They are both true and real in their own right. The Secret Sauce is that the Material and the Form fight 1v1! And regardless of which part wins, there will be consequences and rewards; so which rewards do we want and which consequences are we willing to suffer? And this fight happens beat by beat, scene by scene, plot point by plot point.

At one point in TFC Neil laments his inability to shut his fucking mouth because his Form of 'don't stand out dipshit' and his Material of 'initiate smartass.exe' are disagreeing with how to respond to his circumstances! It's that fucking meme "My healed and unhealed versions of myself deciding who is going to handle this situation" but as Storycraft!

Now, I don't think this is a new idea by any means. But sometimes to make the essence of an idea truly stick, it must be presented in multiple different ways until one triggers a "Eureka! By Jove! Aha!", and this was the way that truly made this concept stick for me. And why did it stick? Because AFTG is a labor of deep love and passion for Characters and all their complexity and inner machinations, and that depth of devotion had to manifest as some good ass writing somehow my homies in christ.

I have a collection of my favorite Storycrafting Wisdoms and one of them is effectively:

"Put Compelling Characters into a Compelling Situation and see what happens."

And Nora does Compelling Characters beautifully

[everythingseasoning]

Suguru Geto - JJK character analysis (near complete?) (edit: after spending a lot more time thinking about JJK, this analysis is not near complete, and I will update this post sometime)

“I gave everything I had, and it failed. It all crashed in front of me. And nobody did anything— not before me— not now. I’m seeing something nobody else sees. I’m sitting in these shadows and nobody cares about me. And here Gojo is, not doing a thing— and they praise him.” - my interpretation of Geto’s thought processes post Riko Amane’s assassination.

Crying about Geto because he went through so much. Geto was caring and idealistic before he defected. After such intense, prolonged trauma caused by the darkness of humans, and after growing disillusioned towards the world due to how unhelpful jujutsu society was— Geto felt utterly confused, resentful, and abandoned. The very system that was supposed to represent goodness (Jujutsu Society) simply prolonged the cycle of pain and suffering. It failed everyone— it failed him. Everything he’d believed was a shattered mirror, reflecting the cracks and flaws of humanity— and Geto saw that. Jujutsu Society praised Gojo for his innate talent, whilst neglecting the cracks in its system and the world, and neglecting Geto. In Geto’s turmoil, Geto was overcome by disenchantment— losing his faith and shedding his past sense of self— his good nature replaced with bitterness towards Gojo, simultaneously accompanied with a developed, narrow perspective on normal humans. (As we see with “Are you the strongest because you’re Satoru Gojo, or are you Satoru Gojo because you’re the strongest?” — Geto brings up the age old question of nature Vs nurture. He’s essentially asking Gojo if his power is the reason for his success, or if his power shaped his identity. Who is Gojo? Did he get any choice in defining himself? —He didn’t. Gojo’s whole personality is based off of his power, which determined how he was treated— the Strongest, seen as a functioning tool. —And regarding Gojo’s power: What was once a deep admiration towards Gojo, turned into resentment and envy from Geto’s end, as Geto realized Gojo wasn’t changing the corrupt systems, nor did Geto have the luxury of power to have made a difference. Geto felt spurned, and also believed normal people were unworthy of ruling, and the only way to save the world from its already unjust systems was to overthrow everything and use power to rule. After all, power is all that matters in terms out how you can change the world, which is your worth in the world— and Geto wanted that. He wanted power. He wanted to be worthy the way Gojo was— he was hurting. Maybe if he had Gojo’s level of power, he wouldn’t be in this much pain. Maybe he would’ve been able to stop other people from being evil and actually have had footing in this world. Maybe people would be listening to him, appreciating him. —Or maybe, Jujutsu Society was just a phony, after all. And normal humans were useless to change anything— all they did, in Geto’s mind, was feed into the evil nature of the world. …Geto became resentful, callous, cold, evil because of the wrongdoings inflicted on him, which resulted in his misinformed beliefs about humans and his behavior run wild with blind spite. He truly believed that the pain he inflicted on humans was justified, and he reveled in it because he had been hurt so deeply and saw it as reparations, even.

Do I believe what Geto did was okay? Absolutely not. He had much too rigid a way of seeing humans— as all bad— and that was a fallacy. But he was only 17 when he faced such confusing, extreme, difficult circumstances, and it distorted his worldview. I can’t blame him. He WAS good. But being around constant darkness wore him down, thus he descended into a callous man devoid of empathy. His actions after defecting are deplorable and not okay, however, he truly deserves compassion too. Many others, had they been in his situation, would’ve ended up horribly warped too.

How could Geto have done better, so as not to become the evil, rigid and disillusioned, cold and harmful, person he became? This is an important question. I’m still figuring it out myself. This analysis is to be continued. For now I’d say that he was unable to empathize with humans beyond his own pain and suffering, and it’s a cautionary tale about how wrapped up we can get in our own trauma and suffering— which leads us to being incapable of seeing and understanding things beyond our own individual pain, which leads us to inflicting undue injustice into others. It’s crucial that we take the time to understand the depth and complexity of humanity. The inherent value in humans.

I’m sorry, Geto. For all you went through, and for ever judging you without the fuller scope of understanding. You deserved better.

[bambooswordwielder]

One of the reasons SVSSS is my favourite MXTX work is because it discusses Nature VS Nurture is such a interesting way.

Of course we have Luo Bingge (PIDW LBH) and Luo Bingmei (SVSSS LBH), but I'm personally thinking of Shen Jiu.

So much of what MAKES Shen Jiu who he is in the novel can be attributed to his trauma and circumstances yes, but we also see that he's not exactly a Saint during his childhood.

[Evidence: Yue Qi [YQY] states that Shen Jiu fights viciously and without mercy and regularly fights the other street kids]

However, even during what we can see is his least traumatised point, he was still suffering as a slave who would be forced to beg on the streets with Yue Qi and others, being insulted and belittled while simultaneously fighting other street kids for what little he had.

There was never a point we see Shen Jiu where he is fully happy and untraumatised.

How much of what Shen Jiu is as a person is caused by his surroundings and how much is just how he was born? We will never know, and that is one of the many tragedies of his character.

He fights with dirty/unfair moves that disgust Liu Qingge who is a noble fight because that was the only way someone like him could survive on the streets.

He doesn't trust anyone because he faced a betrayal from the one who he thought he could trust the most (Yue Qingyuan)

He acts like a spoiled noble son who belittles others because that type of person is the type of person who Shen Jiu was forced to lower his head to (Qiu Jianluo), and when he was forced to act like a 'proper dignified scholar', those were the only examples he had in life

He trusts only women because the only person who allowed him some form of peace and comfort during one of his days at the Qiu Household was a woman/girl (Qiu Haitang)

He hates/fears men because many, many times it was a man who had full control of his life and chose to harm him with that power (Qiu Jianluo, Wu Yanzi)

Many aspects of Shen Jiu's personality are caused, and we sadly don't get to see much of what is indeed just him.

Would Shen Jiu have been a kind bundle of joy? Not necessarily, but it's a tragedy we never truly get to see the full character of Shen Jiu.

This is why I love fics which explore Canon divergence in character backstories. What if Shen Jiu was a noble's son? What if Yue Qingyuan returned on time? What if Shen Jiu never got taken by Qiu Jianluo? What Shen Jiu had Shen Yuan as a little brother?

So many what-ifs that could be explored.

In conclusion, send/make more fics about Shen Jiu having a good life please, I'm dying out here in depression

[ramenrescue]

do you any headcanons/aus/thoughts on usao/ousa ? loved your analysis of ogata/asirpa

Oh boy, I might have too many thoughts about Usami and Ogata so this may have to come in parts, especially the AUs. I have started writing a modern day reincarnation fic for them because I am just very feral about these two at the moment, so if I ever finish that and feel compelled to put it out to the world I'll let you know. The thing about writing fic or manga is like -- I can write little snippets but to piece them together into one coherent story is very difficult.

Anyway, your ask came at such a prompt time because I managed to buy the Japanese volumes on Bookwalker for almost 50% off and I specifically reread the main parts with Usami, so they are quite fresh in my mind. I think I agree with other analyses I have read about Usami in that he is a direct foil to Ogata. And this can be seen in their superficial traits: Ogata has many square-shaped, angular, sharp motifs on his face, like his square-shaped eyes, square shaped iris, squared eyebrows, square jawline, square hairline, while Usami has rounded tips on his eyelashes, round moles on his cheeks, rounded lips (cupid's bow), concentric circles for his pupil/iris, and rounded brows. Usami excels at close-range combat, while Ogata excels at long-range combat. Usami grew up amongst a large family with many siblings, while Ogata grew up practically an only child.

But here's the weird part -- I actually don't think they are complete opposites -- I think they have some things in common. <- more on this later.

It is interesting how in Usami's backstory (Chapter 227), Tsurumi (in conversation with the dojo owner) refers to Usami as a "dog among sheep" and a "born soldier who is highly loyal, combative, and is able to kill without remorse or regret". Then, it cuts to Usami in present day saying he predicts the serial killer in Sapporo will return to the scene of the crime and masturbate while reminiscing of their crimes because he understands that sentiment on a personal level. Usami here appears to show understanding that he possesses an innate capacity for violence.

Ogata was always wondering about the whole nature vs nurture question -- like whether lacking remorse for the act of killing is something one is born with or a product of one's environment (ex. bad childhood, war). Usami is a shining example that humans can in fact kill without remorse, and everyone except Ogata knows Usami is an exception to the rule. Usami is well aware this is what makes him special and this is one of the reasons why Tsurumi values him so much as a subordinate.

The problem with Ogata is that because he appears to have very little personal connections outside of Usami during the war (which is... kind of cute in a pitiable way?), he misconstrues that people like Usami are the majority. Usami agrees with all of Ogata's skewed interpretations and analyses that "all (majority of) people do not feel remorse in the act of killing" and in doing that, he is straight up lying. Usami knows people like himself are in the minority -- and because his analysis of Ogata's character was so spot on -- I'll go as far to say Usami knows Ogata is "normal" -- because if Ogata were truly a "born soldier" like Usami, he would not be ruminating about the philosophy of guilt and killing and questioning himself and bouncing his ideas off of another person -- he would just simply, be. Usami receives further confirmation that Ogata is simply, "just a guy", when he overhears Ogata calling Yusaku's name in his sleep. Usami also calls Ogata a snot-nosed brat quite a number of times, and I think that is alluding to Usami knowing that Ogata is just a sheep wearing wolf's skin.

It's interesting that Ogata entrusted the inner workings of his mind to Usami. I thought about this and I came to the conclusion that maybe he saw his own mother in Usami -- which I know, it's kind of insane, but I'm going somewhere with this! In Chapter 304, when Ogata is reminiscing about his mother, it appears she has a prominent cupid's bow -- a physical characteristic possessed by Usami. His mother likely called Ogata by his first name, and Usami is shown to be THE only person in present day who calls Ogata by his first name. Ogata's mom was head over heels over a man in a position of power with a wife who never returned the same level of love, while Usami is head over heels over a "promiscuous" man in a position of power who will likely never return the same level of affection that he's outputting. Another interesting side note: Usami chides Ogata for being the illegitimate son of an escort* and back in the Edo period, women in the business would chop off their pinkie as a sign of loyalty to their patron. Although Ogata likely did not have a good vantage point (nor did he care) to observe Usami's final moments, I think it's still worth mentioning that Usami getting his pinkie chomped off by Tsurumi resembles an escort chopping off her finger as a sign of ultimate devotion to her customer, lol. Anyway, I think because Ogata drew parallels between Yusaku and Asirpa, it is not so far fetched that he saw his mother in Usami -- and ultimately his projection made him trust Usami more than one ever should. There is one more important evidence that Ogata saw his mother in Usami -- in that he killed both of them with similar intent. He killed his mom not out of hatred, but because he wanted to put her out of her misery -- and he thought that if his father came to her funeral, she would be happy. Before he shoots Usami, he says something like "if you're so worried about being Tsurumi's cheapest pawn, why don't you see what his face looks like at your funeral," and in a way, he is putting Usami out of his miserable state of feeling inadequate. Ogata killed his mother with conviction that the positive outcome would happen, while he kills Usami with more of a neutral outlook -- and interestingly, Ogata, by killing Usami, gave Usami the thing he wanted most in life -- a reaffirmation from Tsurumi that he was his one and only (which, whether Tsurumi was telling the truth or not is dubious from a reader's POV, but alas, we are happy for Usami).

So here we return to my earlier point -- that they are crafted to be very different from each other, but they do possess similarities. One obvious one is that they both yearn for affection from Tsurumi -- which highlights another difference in that, yes they both yearn for love, but the love they seek are different. Usami yearns for love from one person and one person only, while Ogata is more agnostic and yearns for love from pretty much anyone who is willing to give him attention. But here's the thing -- I think Ogata's yearning for affection is a product of his environment -- and I think Usami's yearning to be someone's one and only, is also a product of his environment! I think that because he grew up in a large family, the love from his parents was dispersed amongst all of their children***, fostering an environment ripe for someone like Tsurumi to sweep him off his feet and pour "love" into this near-empty vessel. Usami felt intoxicated by the notion of being someone's one and only, that his jealousy-filled-rage led him to murder. I'd argue that without the addition of Tsurumi, there would be no Usami. Tsurumi compared Usami not to a wolf or a bear -- but a domesticated dog -- which is not, by itself, likely to commit acts of violence**. A soldier becomes a soldier only when commanded -- STEERED in the right direction, much like a dog will become violent when raised to do so. Therefore, a version of Usami who never met a sweet-talker like Tsurumi in his formative years, would likely not grow up to be an ultra-loyal killing-machine. To sum, I believe Usami's capacity for violence is an innate quality that can only be harnessed by the right environment.

Thank you for the question! One thing I still haven't quite wrapped my mind around is how after Ogata shoots Usami, he says "thank you, Usami, your death has completed me as a sniper." Okay??? What does he mean by that! I don't know! So if you or anyone reading this has any thoughts I'd love to know!

--

*=note that 商売女can include prostitutes and geisha, and the lines between geisha and prostitution was a lot blurrier back then so I'm just calling them an "escort" although Ogata's mom is officially known to be a former geisha

**=note that this is a sweeping generalization and I am aware different dog breeds do display varying levels of unpredictable, aggressive behavior

***=I just want to point out that Usami's parents are portrayed as being in love with each other, so they may have had that many kids as a result of lack of contraception. There's a scene in Vagabond with a couple who are having sex despite their many children crying out of hunger, and it kind of reminds me of that...

[sepublic]

I do wish they brought back Al’s identity crisis when the Homunculi’s nature as failed resurrections, and their imperfect memories, was brought to light. Because in 2003, Al’s crisis is also foreshadowing to this, so it’d come full circle.

I understand if the writers felt like they would’ve been retreading old ground in doing so. But there’s so much potential in Alphonse considering the possibility that he’s a homunculus soul attached to a suit of armor, and the kicker comes in meeting a homunculus who wants to be bound to armor, just like Al, because of Al!

It doesn’t matter if Edward intended/realized this (which would absolve him in Al’s eyes at least), it’s possible that Alphonse genuinely died from the transmutation of Sloth, given his body was obliterated completely. And so what Ed did was create a second homunculus, attempt a second human transmutation, but because he didn’t have the materials to make a new body (or didn’t consider using Sloth as those materials), he had to bind the new soul to armor for it to be tangible.

Of course, Alphonse has memories that Ed doesn’t; Does this mean that both him and the Homunculi are real? Or does it just mean that somewhere within the Gate is the original, and the Gate copied their memories to produce a homunculus? If Alphonse is real then so is Sloth, meaning Edward can’t kill her. Or maybe they have to anyway, for the sake of self-defense because Sloth would still be in denial of her past regardless.

What would it mean for Lust? Would she believe Alphonse is real, and thus consider herself that way, without a doubt? Would she still desire her original body, regardless of an identity crisis? Tbf I’d hate to have been literally whitewashed, and would indeed want to reconnect with my community.

It’s sad because Alphonse has a third party in Winry that he can cross-reference his memories with to affirm he’s the original. But the isolated relationship the Homunculi have with Dante makes it basically impossible to do that; Lust might’ve had the chance if she got to talk with Scar about it, at least. Envy seems to consider himself the original regardless. The rest don’t seem to have much anxiety, tbh…

But with Sloth? She might want to cross-reference, if only to prove to the Elrics she’s not real. But what if she is? What if the verification proves it? They’d never stop harassing her either way; Either she’s their mom and better go back to it, or she’s not real and Edward does what he does in canon.

Mayhaps memories don’t mean much if Homunculi are born with different personalities, because nature vs nurture, two people with the exact same experiences might choose differently because of genetic personality traits. Or maybe it’s proof that Trisha actually felt this way all along, and this is the real her.

Trisha had kids at a really young age, maybe she regretted committing to that life so quickly (or even, at all). That could’ve been a secret she took to the grave… Only to not be so secret after all. Maybe Sloth felt empowered to say how she truly felt by pretending she wasn’t Trisha anyway, because if she said that while thinking of herself as Trisha, it’d mean betraying her sons and she loves them too much to do that either. It’s complicated.

But, back to Alphonse; Given 2003 was always planned to be divergent and the writers did work to establish this early on with Sloth herself, it makes me think that I dunno. They could’ve pushed Al’s identity crisis to this later part of the story, if they wanted to avoid repeating the same conflict? But if you apply Al’s proof that he’s real, then it might answer the ambiguity of the Homunculi and thus ruin that uncertainty.

That, or you’d have to end the series implying that the Al in flashbacks is dead, and the one we see is a different character. When Al gets his body back, he doesn’t retain memories of everything that happened when he was a suit of armor; What if Ed had created a clone the whole time, while the real Alphonse was trapped beyond the gate? And that clone used up his soul as part of the Philosopher’s Stone to save Ed, who then unwittingly brought back the real Alphonse? That could be too bleak, even for the writers of 2003. Obviously Conqueror of Shamballa clears it up but man.

[rosesradio]

would you write a Jason Percy pov, that is if Jason was at chb from the beginning?

sure i'll talk about this :-)

so this is a scenario in which jason is not abandoned at the wolf house, but thalia would still run away, taking him with her. they would still meet luke, then annabeth. (realizing now that if this was canon, the retconning of the ages would be more obvious, because jason's like 2 & annabeth's like 7, but whatever it's fine. i guess we can just simplify things & say that jason's 6, a year younger than annabeth & percy the way he is in HoO). (don't talk to me about character ages i have a headache already lmaoo)

i'd be curious to see if jason being there impacts luke's arc at all. of course, you still have the May Castellan Episodes of Cursed Fate of it all that prompted luke to run away in the first place, but still. having jason there would make things harder—another child means another hungry mouth to feed. plus, luke is already parentified enough (thalia is too ofc) with annabeth. still, he can't help but feel the need to look after jason. he looks like a luke mini-me, and watching him & annabeth play together in the lull between monster attacks & life on the run warms his heart in a way. it gives him purpose.

that being said, would luke still become bitter and pick fights on the way to camp? perhaps it's inevitable...or perhaps jason becomes injured, they lag behind, and thalia faces the same fate. luke can't be mad at the kid, even if he holds a bit of resentment, so he turns towards (or away from) the gods to blame. something something you can't turn away from prophecies something something

& then ofc you have jason at camp, mourning his sister & training in her honor. he's still wolf-like, too—it seems inherent for roman demigods, regardless of if they end up at the wolf house. in fits of anger he tears into training dummies with hands & teeth, insistent he can do the same to monsters (he can, in due time). he longs to prove himself, to prove his sister's sacrifice was worth it to get him to camp safely.

zeus, in an effort to dismiss things per usual, doesn't claim him. it's jupiter's problem, after all. luke tries to argue in favor of jason going to the zeus cabin, though chiron is unsure. a god siring two demigod children with the same mortal parent is rare. in fact, it's more common to have two kids have the same mortal parent, but two different godly parents. chiron wants to wait and see what the gods will do, and the gods do nothing.

that is, until around when jason turns 11. zeus's lightning bolt is stolen, & he's desperate. he claims jason, urging him to find the theif...and pointing his blame towards percy.

thus the greatest enemies to lovers storyline of all time is born. or whatever

of course, there's a part of jason that's hard-wired, roman-wired despite his upbringing (nature vs nurture) to tear into percy like a wolf.

this is not the way of things at camp.

percy must be given a quest, a chance to prove himself, & jason & annabeth must go with him as personal witnesses to his innocence (grover gets to have a lovely vacation). despite a lot of butting heads, it's on this quest that jason realizes that percy actually is innocent (he is truly, deeply clueless about how the whole Being a Demigod thing works). he realizes that percy's not that bad of a guy. he's loyal to his quest mates to a fault, willing to sacrifice himself for them even if they hate each other.

& then they meet the deadline. & they go back to camp. & jason starts thinking a lot about how loyal he was to zeus at the drop of a hat, when he didn't even claim him until he needed him.

& then luke betrays the camp. he beytrays percy. but he's luke, the guy who took care of him since he was six years old. the guy who continued to take care of him even after thalia didn't make it.

maybe he has a point about the gods.

but maybe percy, in his goodness, in his bravery & honesty, has a point to remain loyal to the camp.

so which side is jason to choose?

[theproperweirdo]

How would you describe the differences between Afk Journey Lorsan, Lyca, and Eironn with Afk Arena Lorsan, Lyca, and Eironn?

I started playing afk journey, and I can't help but feel like some of the wilders are out of character

Whewww this was a long one 😩😩 sorry for leaving u for a bit, my exams ended and I’m sick rn :,( below are just my brief thoughts on specific characters that are in both Arena and Journey.

This post has an analysis on Lyca and Lorsan, then I just try and make some backstory explanations for Niru, Thoran, Rowan, and Satrana for Journey Lore goers.

This post is for anon but also anyone interested in the changes they’ve made between Arena and Journey! Feel free to add more 🙏🙏

What I think they’ve done is taken one or two traits from a character, and tried to make it the main focus of their personality. But it takes over the entire character, and ultimately leaves them a bit flat. I think they tried to make the wilders “emotional” but ended up scraping their intellectual and leadership traits. Not to say they’re idiots now, but they don’t have the same depth as before.

Lyca is more emotionally charged when we talk to her now, more than in arena. Her original story makes sure we know she’s a kind, nurturing person, capable of bringing out the best in others. In arena they delve into her personal relationships with others a lot, but aside from Eironn appointing her in charge while he leaves, she doesn’t have the same energy. She does try to bring Eironn into the group more so he can learn to rely on others, but the storyline was more like her trying to help a friend than her unearthing a talent or trait. She doesn’t hold herself to the same standards, saying she will “enter competitions where winning is secured.” Vs Lyca in Arena, who— although losing faith in herself— fights against the words of everyone else and believes in own abilities. In Journey, she’s the leader of our group. But in Arena, she’s truly the leader of the dusk watch, and a strong voice for everyone in the dark forest. Attached some screenshots to try and help explain my thoughts below

I’ve talked about ALorsan vs JLorsan before, but I think I can refine my thoughts from then. He’s always been sort of.. air headed? A little aloof but very smart, and always very connected to the environment around him. JLorsan however, is pretty much ready to throw down with everyone. He makes quips at his friends often, causes mischief, and helps battle enemies during the story. ALorsan is definitely the opposite for me. Always a laid back, accepting individual, who feels well put together. He rarely gets mad, and when he does, it’s because he feels people’s wellbeing’s are at stake. He’s described by Rowan as a “calm monk” and I think that sums it up well. He’s a little detached from reality, but it’s because he’s always absorbing nature and listening to what’s around him. I like him in Journey, but he loses his deep connection with the world, and although he still has it (somewhat), it’s clearly not as present anymore. Below are some story tib bits I nabbed from Rowan, Rigby, and Lorsan’s story in Arena in case anyone wants to read them.

I feel like I saw the main changes in those two, but I’ll add some other characters too 🫣

If you know about Rowan’s story in arena, skip the following paragraph ⬇️⬇️

Rowan’s character has stayed pretty consistent between the two games, but I feel like they leave out a lot about his backstory. As (I assume) most arena lore-ians know, Rowan’s father was a regular guy who— through his wits and good investments— became Esperia’s youngest and wealthiest noble. He had 2 sons, Angelo his oldest (hippie bard), and Rowan his youngest. They were raised to understand that money can be gained and taken easily, and that they need to know how to be self sufficient despite their wealth. But Angelo didn’t want to be a noble, and ran away to travel the world and spread his songs. Everything fell to Rowan, including an engagement to the Kings daughter Peggy (yeowchhhh). But Rowan felt dissatisfied that everything would just fall into his lap. He wanted to reach the top on his own, so he could come back and feel like he truly proved himself.

Almost none of this is included in game! Journey only writes about how his father is the richest noble, and that Rowan was born incredibly rich. They did manage to keep the honest and empathetic traits he holds himself to as a business man though, so I’m only here to say— WHY DIDNT THEY ADD IN HIS ENTIRE BACKSTORY 😭😭 we literally meet Peggy in game but they don’t end up elaborating on why they’re “engaged” or why Rowan “ran off.” If you don’t play arena, you’re left to assume he’s a rich kid who’s out in the world doing business. GAHHHHH 😢😢 Screenshots of his story belwo

They do the same to most of the others too, where they don’t include any of their previously established lore.

Niru was an army solider, who was away from his wife and kid often. He was around the dead enough that he began to dabble in necromancy before he was discovered and promptly executed. But a little before that, he managed to cast a spell that would bring him back to life. After that, he goes back to his Wife (after their kid died!) and resurrects his kid INFRONT OF HIS GRIEVING WIFE 😭😭 in arena he travels with his family to lead lost souls home, but if I were his family I’d be a just a teensy bit angry.

Thoran was once a very generous and loving king. He was beloved by his kingdom, and cherished peaceful times. His brother Edwin however, was a warmonger and wanted to bring back glorious battle. Thoran disagreed, and so Edwin gathered those under his influence and assassinated both Thoran and their Sister, Theowyn, along with all his adversaries. But Thoran’s loyal guard (gay ass) was brought back to life by Queadam, who had him perform a ritual to bring back his king. Now a graveborn, Thoran was filled with hate and anger. He ordered a mass execution of his entire kingdom, then brought them back to life under a curse that swore they’d all be loyal to him. This branches out into OTHER characters who aren’t in Journey lmao

Satrana had specifically her job altered. Now she’s what i assume is a wandering diviner. Before, she was a temple disciple under the mauler temple’s elder. Before that, she was a slave who was constantly abused. She fled, and Antandra was the one who saved her. This is also why Antandra is an exile, she believed in helping everyone and went against the temple’s elders. So in the end, Antandra was exiled for helping a girl, one who was eventually taken in by the temple itself. Crazy. I know there’s a storyline update in Journey about them now, but there’s also one in arena so if anyone could tell me about it I’ll exchange info

Also Brutus ⬇️⬇️

Okay I’m still sick so that’s it 😢😢 all in all, they really simplified most characters, or left out chunks of their story. Heartbreaking

[quinnyundertow]

QUINNY HELLO!! Its me aleks @yuutito

I have been following both the time travel fic (when I catch you gege) and the asylum one since day one! But I’ve been really shy to make new moots so I haven’t made the effort to come and say hi >.<

But I want to pick your brain about the time travel fic hehe so here I am !!

- since JJK has ended, has your plans for the story changed at all? Like have any plot lines or your planned story been altered by the ending gege gave us?

- since we haven’t met yuuji or megumi or Nobara yet, I’m wondering.. will our MC stop Yuuji from eating the finger? You don’t have to answer but I’m so curious if you will loosely follow JJK storyline or if you will make sweeping changes… vague/nonspoiler answer is ok ^^

- I really like what you did with suguru’s character. I was actually shocked when we met him in the ryokan and he was like “why would I take Rika from Yuta?” I was like OH like we are ACTUALLY making a difference I was so happy 😭 but now I’m here wondering what will kenjaku do if the night parade never happens… I wonder if he’s still in kaoru’s body.. aaaa I have so many questions I’m so very excited you see..

- loosely speaking, I know it’s a reverse harem so MC will have lots of romantic interests, but does MC have romantic feelings for one person or all of them? Or is it more that she’s being swept away in the moment by all these guys? I want to root for an endgame couple (not naming any names, definitely not biased 😌) but I’m also having lots of fun watching MC romance them all!!

- I also really like what you did with Junpei. The eren jaeger hair is a LOOK I’m living for it truly… he looks so handsome in my mind…

Sorry if you’ve answered any of these before but I reread your whole fic last night and my mind is buzzing..

🥰 Ahhhh don’t feel shy about saying Hi I’m just a humble trash gremlin. I’m so glad you’ve continued to like the fics from so early on. 🥺 Thank you for the kind words and support!

These are some interesting questions! Let me see if I can give answers to them 🤭 Potential manga/anime spoilers below. I definitely got carried away responding.These are simply my opinions from watching/reading interviews and the source material.

- since JJK has ended, has your plans for the story changed at all? Like have any plot lines or your planned story been altered by the ending gege gave us?

For a little while I was pretty concerned about how the ending would affect the fic but to be honest almost all the tragedy we are focused around stopping is in the anime (Junpei, Haibara, Nanami, Suguru, Toji, Yuji’s Trauma, Childhood trauma for Gumi, Mechamaru, Tsumiki etc etc.). So no changes to the story line based off of the manga ending. That actually goes for all my fics. Phew.😅

- since we haven’t met yuuji or megumi or Nobara yet, I’m wondering.. will our MC stop Yuuji from eating the finger? You don’t have to answer but I’m so curious if you will loosely follow JJK storyline or if you will make sweeping changes… vague/nonspoiler answer is ok ^^

There will be sweeping changes while loosely following the storyline. 😅 MC will be doing her damndest to avoid Yuji chowing on the finger. That’s all I’ll say on that.

- I really like what you did with suguru’s character. I was actually shocked when we met him in the ryokan and he was like “why would I take Rika from Yuta?” I was like OH like we are ACTUALLY making a difference I was so happy 😭 but now I’m here wondering what will kenjaku do if the night parade never happens… I wonder if he’s still in kaoru’s body.. aaaa I have so many questions I’m so very excited you see..

I feel like I need to explain how I see Suguru’s character to respond to this. Suguru is such a fascinating character. Even if you think early intervention could have stopped his whole “Monkey” era. He has to have something innately inside him that is broken for him to be able to flip that hard (Nurture vs Nature argument). Yes he goes through extreme trauma but lots of people go through extreme trauma and don’t become racially charged serial killers.

In the show he goes from (arguably) Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil. In WICYG I want to explore Geto as a Chaotic Neutral.

Why didn’t Suguru even THINK of taking Rika from Yuta in WICYG? This stems from my analysis in his canon choices. Some of the decisions Geto makes in JJK 0 frankly don’t make sense if he wanted to achieve his goals of a non-sorcerer free world. Suguru is very intelligent and capable of understanding others deeply and in canon manipulating them.

I think in JJK 0 Geto was fucking exhausted by having to bare the weight of the world on his shoulders but felt totally pigeonholed into his choices and was past the point of no return. Geto knew what would goad Gojo into killing him. Targeting young children, attacking Gojo’s students, declaring a public war so Gojo couldn’t back out. Geto gave Gojo no choice but to kill him. Maybe he wasn’t fully cognizant of making that decision but I think he did. Geto could have easily killed Yuta and Stolen Rika when Toge and Yuta encounter Geto at the abandoned mall. He didn’t do it because he didn’t want to.

The WICYG Geto can’t even fathom murdering a young sorcerer with potential just to become more powerful himself. We will get more into these choices as Suguru’s story progresses!

- loosely speaking, I know it’s a reverse harem so MC will have lots of romantic interests, but does MC have romantic feelings for one person or all of them? Or is it more that she’s being swept away in the moment by all these guys? I want to root for an endgame couple (not naming any names, definitely not biased 😌) but I’m also having lots of fun watching MC romance them all!!

Reader x all is the ending. I’ve thought about it a lot. This was the first thing I needed to establish before starting the story. How to have a believable happy harem ending. Trust in me 🙏

- I also really like what you did with Junpei. The eren jaeger hair is a LOOK I’m living for it truly… he looks so handsome in my mind…

I needed him to have a hairdo with his forehead exposed because it’s a visible sign of readers success in Jupei’s story so far. He was never bullied to the point of cigarettes being put out on his face. Go reader! Also Man buns 🙌 Now I need to pay someone to draw him like that hehe I’m glad you approve.

Thank you for all the questions and kind words and sorry for the rambling. I enjoyed responding ❤️

[captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship]

SJM ask game

I saw this ask game started by @milswrites and I absolutely love it!

1) What’s your favourite SJM book?

It is a tie between ACOMAF, QOS, and CC1. Those are my top 3 and they rotate on a daily basis on which is my favorite.

2) Which is your favourite series (tog, acotar or cc)

TOG is def my favorite of the three. The story is so beautifully bookended, each book can stand by itself, the characters are amazing and they go through so much growth. I love ACOTAR because I love the relationships that are built there and the world building is so interesting. I also read ACOTAR at a very dark point in my life and reading about Feyre digging herself out of the darkness helped me do the same. I love Ruhn Dannan. Daynight is life. Enough said.

3) Who is your favourite character? (And why?)

I have to have a favorite character from each series. For ACOTAR, gwyn has whittled her way into my heart as my favorite character. Her bravery, her selflessness, her determination. We see her interact with characters who are previously shown to be extremely unaproachable and she treats them like normal people. She is healing and is in the process of building a life that is worth living. I cannot wait to read more of her journey in the next book. For TOG, my favorite characters are Aelin, Manon, and Lysandra. Aelin is forced to be so strong from such a young age, and the shit that she is put through just makes my heart ache. KOA broke my heart so many times because she felt so broken and I feel like we never got a true conclusion to it. Manon is such a prime example of Nature vs Nurture. She was Nurtured to be a heartless killer, but once she started seeing the world for what it was and seeing the injustices her people were committing, she and the 13 stood up for what was right and went up against their sister Ironteeth in battle in order to fight for a better world. Lysandra has been a favorite of mine since the first time I read her on the page. She was taken advantage of and was forced into a role outside of her command. The way she takes her own life in her hands, she puts the needs of others before her own, and was a friend to Aelin when she truly needed one will solidify her as one of my favorites. It is no surprise that Lydia is my favorite CC character. I loved her in CC2, but she CARRIED CC3. She is like the perfect mix of Rhys and Aelin and her ancestors would be proud of her and what she has done.

4) Do you have a favourite quote from one of the books?

I have a million favorite quotes. One of the ones I wouldn't mind getting a tattoo of is "Don't let the Hard days win" it is simple but so impactful and some days I need the reminder. I cannot stop crying when I read Lehabah's last conversation with Bryce. Also, I definately Bawl everytime Aelin hallucinates about her parents and her mom says, "Why do you cry, Fireheart?"

5) Favourite ship?

In no particular order: Gwynriel, Feysand, DayNight, Rowaelin, Lysaedion, Nestaq.

6) E/riel or Gwynriel? Or neither?

I think my username speaks for itself

7) Who’s the most underrated SJM character?

NESRYN MF EMPRESSES FALIQ. I love her. I know she isn't on my list of favorites but she is 100% a favorite. Her and Sartaq are just *Chef's Kiss*

8) Which character do you wish to learn more about?

Oooooh. Azriel, Gwyn, Jessiba, Lydia, VAUGHN, Lucien.

9) Are there any characters you don’t like?

Besides the bad guys? I don't care for Ithan but its not that I don't like him. He just reads like a washed up frat boy but I was impressed with his growth in CC3. It's not like I HATE him, he just isn't a favorite of mine.

10) Favourite bat boy?

It should come as ZERO surprise that Azriel is my favorite bat boy. However, if I had to choose ANY of the SJM Males to be my mate, it would be Dorian :) I would die fighting Manon for him but worth it lol

11) Favourite court?/ Which one would you most like to live in?

I most definately fit into the Night Court. Anyone who knows me knows I am a night owl and I would sleep all day and be awake at night if I could. If Eris was high lord, my second choice would be Autumn.

12) Favourite SJM villain?

I think we can all agree that Maeve is the most flushed out villian that SJM has written to date. I love to hate her.

13) If you could change one thing in any of the books what would it be?

I would get rid of all the "crumbs" for E/riel and I would make Mor more open about her sexuality with the IC from the beginning. I am fixing both in FM2M.

14) Favourite SJM theory?

Gwynriel are mates. There is way too much canonical evidence to prove otherwise.

15) Favourite Archeron sister?

Feyre.

16) A character you feel is over-hated/ underrated

Aedion. Leave my boy alone. Was he a dumbass? Yes. HOWEVER, think about his trauma and the BS Lysandra and Aelin pulled on him. He has had the weight of his kingdom on his shoulders for 10 years. He has been playing the game longer than he can remember, was taken advantage of by older men in the army as he worked his way up the ranks. His father's identity needed to be kept a secret to the detriment of his mother and he resents Gavriel for it. They were going to turn him into the same absentee father that he hated, and they threw his trauma in his face. He would have just been a breeding stud and would never be able to recognize his own children. It was a stab right to his heart and he was betrayed by the two people who meant the most to him in the world. Give the boy some grace.

17) Aelin, Bryce, or Feyre?

I think Aelin is the most fleshed out and goes through the most character growth. However, Bryce and Feyre have my heart. I will not choose.

18) If you wrote an acotar book what would you call it?

A Court of Scars and Shadows. Thanks @thebelladonnamoon for coming up with the perfect ACOTAR 6 title.

20) Who is your favourite acotar blogger?

Here on Tumblr, I love @acourtofthought @gwynrieldefenseatty but there are so many that I love :) And, as always, @yazthebookish

21)What fics would you recommend to people who love the series?

OH GOD. Off the top of my head for ACOTAR: ACoFD by @the-lonelybarricade (or ANYTHING by her and @separatist-apologist) ACOSAS by @thebelladonnamoon, Call Me Home by @propagandaprincess, There You Are by @sweethvilliandarlinggod

You can see my bookmarked favorite fics here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_of_the_Gwynriel_Ship

TOG Favorite fics: High Infidelity by @heirofflowers, Bad Intentions by @starseternalnighttriumphant, Illicit Affairs is my ALL TIME FAVORITE by @rowanaelinn, remanents by @the_dormouse, and The Inclining of Stars by @Slytherindemigod18

CC Favorites: I havent read too many, but you can always count on Verzavar Haz by @hlizr50 to break down your soul.

Questions for writers

22) Easiest character to write for?

Probably Feyre or Gwyn. I just feel like I can get in their heads the easiest.

23) Hardest character to write for?

Rhys (so far). It is why he hasn't had a POV yet in FM2M but there will be one in a couple chapters.

24) What’s a character you’d like to write for but haven’t yet? Ooh. Some of the TOG characters. I haven't ventured outside of ACOTAR yet but one day maybe.

25) What’s a court you’d like to write about more?

Autumn wink wink. And Hybern (I know it isn't a court but still).

26) What’s a character you won’t write for and why?

I don't know if there is a character I won't write for. I think it just depends. Probably Elorcan as a couple because as much as I like them, I couldn't really write them.

27) If you could only write for one character ever again, who would you pick?

Gwyn. Easy.

28) Whats your favourite trope to write about when it comes to Azriel?

Oh gods where to start. Friends to lovers, priestess/sinner, trainer/trainee, Acceptance and Longing, Soulmates, Forced Proximity. I could go on.

29) What do you think is the best/favourite acotar fic you’ve written?

I mean definitely FM2M, but I loved writing Up Against the Wall and coming up with the idea for The Great Escape.

30) Who are your favourite friendships to write about?

Right now, the valkyrie and Mor and Feyre, Cassian and Feyre, and Lucien and Feyre.

31) For first time readers to your blog, which three fics would you recommend they read?

Obviously FM2M, you can read some of my other one shots or short fics or check out some of my favorite fics above!

This was super fun and a way to distract me from such a boring work day haha

[cer-rata]

If I could rework Ra's al Ghul conceptually, I think I'd make him occupy a similar place as Doctor Doom, an entertaining and difficult to deal with fact of life that represents a valid if flawed worldview. This is the direction I'd shift him in:

-Incredibly intelligent and prepared as a rule

-Wildly well resourced

-Still an antagonist but with a moral framework that sometimes leans kind of blue/orange

-Has things and people that he truly cares about in ways that are deeply understandable and even admirable

-Honestly? Kind of has a point ideologically, the problem lying in how he goes about achieving it

-Big ego that he sort of deserves

-Has a master goal that makes sense for an immortal with lots of perspective, even if the drawn conclusion is wrong. This is a big one. You have to be able to believe that he truly could be so smart and experienced and decide to die on the hill he does, without just hand waving him as being crazy. The incoherent ecoterrorism based genocide plot works for hot mess era Poison Ivy, not an immortal, well read mastermind who has had hundreds of years to actually come up with real solutions. (And even Ivy has moved on from that, like--)

-Maybe lean away from the Lazarus corruption angle because it's wildly inconsistent and unclear as to what effect it actually has and kind of provides an easy way out instead of forcing Batman and the reader to actually contend with his ideas.

And this is not to say he can't be an unfortunate influence in Damian and Talia's life. But I think it's all much more interesting if the Bruce/Ra's dichotomy doesn't have a wildly obvious moral high ground that positions Bruce as the white savior, swooping in with his evolved western ideals. I think Talia is more rewarding as an idealist who is truly forced to make a hard decision between two men she loves dearly, both as people and for the values they represent, and maybe ends up somewhere in between, coming up with a philosophy that works for her. For that to work their frameworks actually have to be comparable. Parents can mess you up even when they're trying their absolute best and love you dearly, he doesn't have to be cartoonishly cruel to their bodies and minds to get to the point of familial dysfunction.

I'm just going to say it, I think It's time we move on from the evil mystical Arab terrorist that doesn't value human life or women or the wishes of his own family and has no real constructive goal or politics--like I've only been implying it so far, but the inherent racism in the construction of Ra's al Ghul is A LOT to deal with and makes it very difficult to actually enjoy him as a character. Conceptually he's got too much potential to just be a caricature. We live in a world where the Joker is positioned as some kind of ideological foil to Batman, instead of a character with ACTUAL IDEALS.

And enough with the biological determinism stuff! Stop that! Stop that right now! I'm putting "nature vs nurture" on a high shelf until you can behave and not use it to be racist. It might not be coming back people! A thousand years in the dungeon! A thousand years of pain!

[oswildin]

I think my thing with Marvel lately, Loki included, is that so many things have happened that make other moments harsher in hindsight. With Loki, it's hard to go back and watch the show knowing it's all leading to him being alone AGAIN. Like Lady Sif telling him he's gonna be all alone is something I can't even stomach now (I can't even watch the ending either except maybe Mobius and Sylvie's scene because I love that duo because it just makes me feel uneasy. I wish I could appreciate the beauty of it more.) And the Mobius telling Loki he can be anything even hurts too. (It's probs my favorite scene in the series.) I feel similarly about Spider-Man No Way Home's ending and some other stuff like WandaVision. Lotta Iron Man stuff too.

On a more positive note, I love the "I've been where you are..." scene just like you, and it's one of the things that first really endeared me to the Loki and Sylvie dynamic. Do you have any insights/headcanons about Sylvie's thought process during the show at all? Or any Mbius headcanons in general?

Yeah I totally get what you mean. I kind of like those moments though that lead up to the ‘tragedy’ so to speak, I love me a bit of foreshadowing. But I completely understand and agree that on rewatch it feels harsher because you know what’s coming.

I hated the Time Cell scene with Sif, I also hate how it was played off for laughs when she repeatedly kept slapping him and kneeing him in his glorious purpose (sorry I had to😭). Like, will I reblog or use the moment of him on his knees? Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think context of which he is on his knees for is horrible. It also goes to show more about Mobius’ character too, and I completely felt Loki’s frustration because I know how it feels to not be listened to, but I also can’t blame Mobius for his knee-jerk reaction of ‘he betrayed me’.

Sylvie’s thought process to me is a mirror to Loki’s during Thor 1/Avengers, obviously they have different reasons/goals, but S1 she is in that same headspace of being blind-sighted by her own ambition and need for vengeance. She is fighting for her freedom and nothing will stop her from achieving that. There’s some great parallels there between her and Loki, how Loki has stated multiple times his opinion of freedom and how it’s a lie, whereas Sylvie doesn’t seem to see it that way, and I think her perspective helps shift Loki’s (especially with the added context of the TVA/HWR).

Sylvie is like a wounded animal. She lashes out and is quick to react. She doesn’t think about the consequences. In S2 however, she is shown the consequences. And you can see how it begins to sober her up, makes her realise that whilst what she did was maybe the ‘right’ thing, it wasn’t as simple as right or wrong. Her and Loki are both selfish in different ways, but ultimately what it comes down to is their loneliness. She does the Loki thing and shrugs everything off as a mere inconvenience, thinking she knows best. Except, she truly has conviction. She really believes in what she says, what she stands for, which is something I feel Loki has struggled with. He didn’t know what he stood for, until he had to made the hard choice of sacrifice to ensure his friends and the many lives on the branches were safe. Then he found his conviction.

Sylvie does care, she just opts to act aloof because that’s all she knows, it’s how she protects herself. She had to build these defences after spending her whole life in apocalypses, on the run and raising herself. She’s going to have bad habits, morally grey thinking/beliefs, drastic behaviour and solutions because she’s only had herself to learn from. It’s like when you learn to drive from a parent and you pick up their bad habits, right? Except, she is the driver as well as the parent, and it’s a matter of nature vs nurture with her. The worlds she grew up in shaped her, they made her who she is.

I don’t really have any Mobius headcannons, but I think he would definitely be a great friend. Not a perfect friend by any means, but he would fight your corner when you needed him, challenge you to think differently and also let himself learn from you in return.

[scoobydoodean]

hello! I've been reading your content and as someone who considers themselves a both Sam and Dean girl, it feels like a breath of fresh air. I feel like samgirls watering down Sam's bad traits are what makes him less enjoyable, because the brothers are supposed to be foils of each other (or at least I see them that way). Both of them have good and bad traits but Sam's bad traits are most dominant in him and Dean's good traits most dominant in him. I think that Sam is a creative way to make an unreliable narrator and defeats the "good Protagonist fights evil in an evil spooky world". Although Dean will always be my favorite out of the two, Sam's moral greyness is key to the story and by trying to make him a helpless victim than the sick little murder man he is, it's like...they are missing the point of the show. One of the main themes I've seen in the show is that nothing is as it seems, Dean looks like the rugged older brother who's got murder on his mind (especially when you read Kripke's original concept for him) but he's actually sweet and trying to save everyone. Sam looks like the cute younger brother who could do no wrong and is just an awkward nerd, but is capable of murdering people without remorse.

I also wanted to ask what your take would be if Sam was the older brother and Dean was the younger brother. A part of me wants to say that it'll just be the same plot but just switching the roles, but that doesn't sound right.

#sam and human sacrifice heheheh

@ your question—hmm… I suppose it depends on how much you believe nature vs nurture shapes people. I would say a lot about Sam’s character is defined by his status as the younger sibling in a childhood neglect situation and a lot about Dean’s character is defined by his status as an older sibling in a neglect situation. A lot of how Dean feels is shaped by the perception that he has control in situations where he has no control, starting from childhood parentification. A lot of how Sam feels is shaped by the perception that he has no control, originating from childhood where he was dragged from place to place without knowing why for much of his formative years, and was often very isolated and alone (i.e. when John took Dean with him on hunts (11.08), or sent Dean away for pissing him off (14.12)).

On the other hand, I also think the demon blood storyline still happening to Sam and not Dean might potentially have interesting effects on John’s treatment of them, if you believe that Sam being coddled a little more (ex: not being allowed to hunt until he was older) isn’t just a function of Sam being the baby of the family but is also due to a special concern associated with his connection to Azazel. This in turn makes the nurture aspect even more fuzzy.

I agree with you though I don't think it would be exactly the same story just switching roles. I think there are also some nature aspects to this like I think Dean's role in the narrative being To Care About People (#dean the narrative heart) is probably something that transcends his upbringing, though obviously we can connect aspects of his upbringing to that role. And you have the age old question of whether Sam's feelings about purity are truly a function of childhood neglect, or whether his belief that he isn't clean literally comes from the demon blood (though personally I'm team neglect).

[korekiyo-defence-squad]

Thanks for the response. I was a bit worried that I had gone a bit too far (especially with the childist accusation of "harassment"). I truly believe that you have the right to post this content about Kiyo in his tag, and that you should. Lord knows that the average DR fan could use some media literacy lmao.

Continuing from the "good faith" angle of discussion (I truly love discussing this character, don't let my spirals confuse you):

While I don't think Sis is necessarily as cartoonishly pure evil as many depictions, the nature of their relationship is... troubling, to say the least. For one, the fact that the two were reading concurrently implies that she may have been playing a part in raising him. I don't think siblings with such an insignificant age gap as, for instance, Junko and Mukuro, would ever do that. There's also the fact that the tulpa/alter/whatever of Sis (assuming it's accurate to Kiyo's memory) speaks to him in a similar manner to how an older family member would speak to a child. While Kiyo as a character is a prime example of "Nature vs. Nurture" (in fact, I hc that he had Borderline Personality Disorder even prior to the Incest Thing™), I do think there has to be some room in the Korekiyo discourse for acknowledgement that Kiyo may have suffered some form of sexual trauma that contributed to his unsettling behavior and mental state, while still acknowledging that Kiyo is no less of a remorseless sociopath than Genocide Jack, Tsumugi Shirogane or Junko Enoshima.

I largely agree! However due to the way Sister manifested as a sort of... protective tulpa I'm more inclined to believe that the pair of them endured abuse together and became unhealthily codependent. Possibly she was the older of the two and therefore Kiyo relied on her to an unhealthy degree, but if he saw her as a source of discomfort or distress I don't think it would be her persona that he wears as a sort of shield. After all, we see her come out when he's under pressure, displaying aggression that he doesn't display, demanding that his accusers apologise. And then when she passed away his loss of his rock left him to completely flounder, and eventually to manifest a tulpa/alter/however you wish to define it that took on the protective role of the sister he relied on so heavily.

And then, of course, there's the whole 'sending girls to the afterlife to be my dead sister's friends' thing. I don't think he would have that mindset if he hated or resented her. There is a world in which she did abuse him but he didn't recognise it as a painful or detrimental act, I suppose, but I would have thought he wouldn't dedicate his life to helping her be happy in death if he secretly hated her for her actions. I think it's more likely that, in his eyes, she was the only "safe" person he had, the only person who protected and looked after him when he was being victimised by outside forces.

How big their age gap was I think is debatable, however given how similar they look I'm inclined to think they're relatively close in age and though it makes sense that she would be older if he looks to her as a protective figure, I don't think it would have been enough of a gap for there to be the kind of alienation that comes from being a sibling with a significant age gap.

Hence I HC that the pair of them were raised and abused together, rather than that she was the perpetrator and he the victim. Does that make sense?

[luvdivy]

it's never you vs you

I was watching a youtube video by profound pondering titled “it’s not you vs you, it’s you and you” and I wanted to do my own personal take on this in connection to his perspective. 

A lot society and self improvement culture fuels this idea that it is always you vs you. And while this has good intentions, it can send people down a path of self hatred. We cannot always set this expectations upon ourselves to always be in the 1%, because the truth is, we’re more than that. Something I have dealt with is struggling to forgive myself even for simple things like missing a workout or waking up late. These things are natural but this constantly competition with myself clouded my vision to see that. Missteps in your journey are bound to happen and to place expectations of being perfect is simply unattainable. Acknowledge where you are to progress to where you wanna be. “You can’t heal a wound you haven’t acknowledged”- Profound Pondering

I understand the perspective on life of “it’s you vs you” however, I don’t believe it is the true way to make peace with yourself. This mindset enhances competition with yourself, and while it has good intentions, I believe that after some point it can become tiring and ineffective. 

The mindset that you are only in competition with yourself reminds us to focus on our own individual improvement and to steer away from comparison with others. It reminds us that self improvement lies in the concentration of self and that life is a journey of evolution with ourselves. However, to believe that there is a constant internal battle within oneself can make it incredibly difficult to make peace with our flaws. True peace arises when we learn to accept each and every version of ourself and welcome it with open arms. It’s improtant to not want a certain side of yourself to prevail, but it’s important to accept that. When you acknowledge this, you don’t fight yourself but understand that this version of you if simply one that needs to be healed, one that is flawed and can be improved. Because in the end, no true part of ourself will ever disappear, but rather it is set aside and improved to make way for the versions of us that we want to nurture. This is why I think it’s so important to recognize how restricting “you vs you” is, and how open and mature and healing “you and you” can be for the self. 

This also ties back to our consciousness and soul. If we perceive that certain parts of ourself are inferior to others, we can often breed more into self hatred rather than self love. While laziness isn’t the most desirable trait for unlocking the highest version of ourselves, laziness exists within us for a reason. We need laziness to relax and unwind, otherwise we would be exhausted all the time. Anger has a time and place, so does jealousy, so does gluttony. These are natural emotions. While we shouldn’t encourage such behaviors, we also shouldn’t demonize having them and rather aim to heal these parts of ourselves. Obviously if you do something negative you should recognize the wrong in it and feel negative about it, but don’t villanize yourself. Don’t let such actions define your character. They are a part of you but they AREN’T YOU. I believe that when we recognize that these not-so-pretty facets of us with an open heart, we can truly make the effort to better ourselves. Not being in competition with yourself makes this whole journey of life a whole lot less stressful. As profound pondering said, “in that comparison to the self, we steal our own joy”.

All in all, I know this was kind of a rant but I hope this makes sense! I want everyone to know that life is not a race, nor a competition, and that it’s okay to accept and be at peace with every part of yourself. Let go of the expectations for yourself, but hold yourself accountable, do your best. Ultimately, you choose who you become, but never fall into the trap of stealing your own joy in that process. Lead with love, and have a wonderful day <3

“When you’re constantly living in a world that’s you vs you, you can never win” -Profound pondering

[cienie-isengardu]

Liu Kang must've been tripping balls if his best solution to Shang Tsung is to shove him into a life of poverty. Liu can claim he wants to reform them but his actions are contradicting his words as it seems like he more or less gave up on Shang and Quan Chi the moment they were born and made their lives terrible as a way to prevent their rise to power which didn't work at all.

Like just put Shang in the White Lotus and raise him yourself so you can keep an eye on him. Shao Khan got a better shot yet Quan Chi is slaving in the mines and Shang was struggling to survive.

The most weird thing about this situation is the very idea that Shang Tsung's new incarnation is bound to be evil and Liu Kang must either reform him to prevent that or let him live in conditions that limit his opportunity to grow, let alone learn magic - instead of assumption that people are born with a clean state as evilness is not inherited trait. Double so, as Liu Kang is said to craft destiny of each person, so why not just make his ex-enemy a fundamental good person or at least temper the traits that originally lead Shang Tsung to evil path in the first place, the way Fire Lord tempered with Rain's godly origin to make him less arrogant or switched Kuai Liang's power from ice to fire. He did make differences to people's original characterization and backstories (Shang Tsung himself was a human born in Earthrealm previously) and we are supposed to believe Shang Tsung couldn't be molded into a good person without putting him into harsh living conditions or couldn’t be placed in loving family to temper his behavior and surround him with people helping him to stay on right track?

At the same time, Liu Kang says Black Dragons are bad guys in all timelines and from previous game we know Kronika used Shang Tsung as a backup if she needed energy from collected souls, so I wonder if there are some rules or difficulties that Liu Kang couldn’t overcome and some characters are in fact by nature aligned with evilness? Thus his attempts to keep Shang Tsung as far from any power?  I literally spent all day thinking about it, the conflict of nature vs nurture  and how this affects Liu Kang’s reasoning for making these certain decisions, but I too think he could just put Shang Tsung between Shaolin Monks and personally oversee his progress, actually making a real effort to teach Shang Tsung to be a good person - but that of course would demand from Liu to overcome his own prejudices.

Truly, why Shao Kahn get the better deal out of three, I don't have an idea.

(And let's not forget the character intro like this:

Shang Tsung: "The squalor I endured as a child-" Geras: "Do not lie. I know the truth."

and I’m not sure if the authors made their mind, did Shang Tsung was born into poverty and neglect - as story mode implies he is on his own, using  deception to survive or we should go with his official bio, he cheated because due to laziness and insincere nature thus ended in that misery because of his own flaws and we are blaming Liu Kang way too much for this mess? But the again, Quan Chi working in mines doesn't sound inspiring much either compared to Shao Kahn's new life)