#i like that the other characters got some development

[midnite-c6]

Watching the daily dose of sunshine makes me think of a au, where nam-gyu goes to rehab and his main doctor is timid!reader, like he’s always teasing you for being so shy and everything!!

I LOVE YOU. SO SO MUCH. sorry guys i gotta confess, i know doctor x patient is weird esp if its IN a mental hospital, but if i was kim seowan's doctor in ddos i would've FOLDED so fast (sorry).

patient!nam-gyu x doctor!reader <3 warnings: 18+, DARK content, dubcon, manipulation (please read at your own risk!!)(kind of a ddos au!!)

*⁠.⁠✧ : he SCARED you so much during the games, how he was killing people left and right (esp during lights out), how he was practically one of the strongest people there. he made you feel incredibly small, he'd constantly mock you, constantly humiliate and embarrass you because you were just. so. quiet! luckily for you, and for him i guess, player 456 successfully stopped the games half-way thru leaving some of the players to stay alive.

for some reason, to everyone's surprise, he'd try to change for the better. as soon as he got that 400 million something won distributed among all the other players, he'd go to some nice rehab center, he was traumatized, definitely. he'd wait patiently for his doctor to prescribe him some shit since he was definitely on the brink of overdosing himself during the games, but when he looks up to see your face, he flinches, and every self-development in his body crumbles as he grinned widely.

"you?" you gasp, your heart dropped from seeing him again. it was like you were the one who needed therapy right this moment. "what are you d- ahem, good afternoon, sir." you'd carefully sit down on the other side of the desk. "it's really a small world." he plops his arms on the table, resting his head in his arm as he gives you the snarkiest smile. "so? you're a doctor..? you sighed, trying to ignore him, ".. it says here in your file that-" "shhhh." he shushed, placing his finger atop your lips. you are now thankful for the desk between the two of you since he's already uncomfortably close to you now. "miss, are you capable of making me feel better?" he'd ask in a voice and expression you'd truly feel bad for, if it just was anybody else doing it. "..you barely did anything during the games, how could you save me?" he tilts his head. you'd only do what you were most familiar of doing, avoiding his gaze and looking down, you weren't like this with any other patients who'd come to you, but nam-gyu truly traumatized your very being.

"tsk." he'd grab your chin to look up at him. "look me in the eye, doctors should be social. right, miss?" your heart would beat faster, his tone sounding just like the ones he'd use during your first encounter. he'd give you that same look of terror, as if trying to make you fear him, which infact works, and you'd sit there staring at him with a big frown! he only laughs after a couple of seconds, "jeez, looks like you need a doctor for your own." his laugh had broken you from that distracted trance, you were a doctor for christ's sake!! "sir, you've confessed into taking alot of substances during the past month, leading to a potential overdose, i'd advise you to stay here to sober up." you say straightforwardly before he could respond anything else. he'd tuck his long black hair in behind his ears and hum, "that was so fucking cute. you being professional and all that.."

---

he did stay, as it was advised by the one and only you, you'd given him check-ups from time to time and you'd see him with the other patients, but one particular day, he'd occasionally crashout, making you keep an eye on him more frequently. he'd call for you from his bed..and as to not lose your job, you'd come in an instant. seeing him laid down, in his hospital gown,. "miss. c'mere.. please." he whined, a 180 of his own character. "yes? sir, how are you feeling..?" he'd reach out to cup your face, looking into your eyes. "i just can't seem to forget... i've watched so many deaths, right infront of my eyes.. " you nod, listening intently, for a brief second you'd feel your utmost sympathy towards him. "and i was gonna get something like ketamine to forget about it again." - he'd cut you off before you could scold him: "..but, i know i'm here to become sober, so.. i wanna know.. what else are you good for, miss?" like a muscle memory, you know what to answer, "obviously-" but he'd cut you off AGAIN. "..and i don't want those stupid medicine shit." he'd pull you in closer to him, where you could feel his breath tickling your face. "c'mon, you were there too, don't you want to forget, aswell ..?" he'd place a soft peck on your lips, letting it linger before lightly biting your lower lip. why didn't you pull away? that's really the big question. why didn't you? you wanted to.. but.. you know very well about his crashouts.. or how he'd act out.. but in these moments you'd find out you're the worst doctor ever.

nsfw below!!-> (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

he'd use up all his remaining strength to pull you ontop of him, letting out a low groan of relief. he'd now keep a tight grip on your hips, knowing that you'd probably gain some consciousness right about now.. but you don't.. you're stupid. you're a fool to his tactics. "oh wow..." his hands would slowly explore your body, with light feather touches. and you'd only stare at him in shock, wondering why you've let him break that patient and doctor relationship dynamic, "fuck. you're even cuter like this." he'd press your body against his, nothing was covering him underneath that hospital gown, so you could already very much feel his everything. to his surprise, he'd see your face contort from the pleasure, whatever's happening right now is just as fucked up as him. "hmm, you like that?" he'd moan out loud, "it's working on me," he'd tore apart your silly pencil skirt, why were you wearing that as a doctor, anyway? his thumb pressing down on your clothed clit. he'd push your panties to the side, making your juices drip on his hospital gown. "let me feel you for real, miss."

it didn't take long, he was so whiny about it too! you could see him biting his lower lip as you fully take in his dick. "miss.. god, i need you." you swear you were gaining control over him, hearing him whimper so submissively, but he knows that wasn't the case, his little whines were so deceiving. you're grinding on your patient's dick right now, but every request of a patient must be returned! and this was his request.. "haah. such a good girl." he'd hold you down against him, "you'd do anything to save your patients won't you? what a hero." feeling your cunt throb for that was crazy, he thought you were crazy.

both of your pleasure-filled moans were echoing inside the room, you'd thank god not one of his nurses would come in here. at such an unfortunate time. his breathy moans were driving you crazy! "fuck.!" he'd finally get to coat your insides with his nut, how he'd make you roll your hips faster to chase out his high, you were much more sensitive than him anyway. "i think.. you've cured me.." he looks right into your eyes so calmly, not matching your exhausted moans. "bet whoever's watching those cctv cameras is jerking it right now." he snickers, making you look up at the camera, oh shit. you'd forgotten some patients need to be watched 24/7. "your moans were so cute, afterall, miss."

guys i NEED TO GET THIS OUT OF MY SYSTEM URHGNS one of my fav imagines everrr i love jaewon sm i love SEOWAN sm and ik he was depressed in that kdrama but i genuinely would let him do anything to me bye. . . 😭 hes so whiny here. i might post part 3 of that one thanos fic, nam-gyu included !! (spoils). someone request myunggi guys!!🥺

[sapphiresaphics]

I will agree with you on one thing… I hate the comments that say Vi can’t read because that’s just dog shit and hateful of poor people tbh. You’re right, there. That’s a terrible take and I agree with you. Amanda Overton agrees with you too cuz she says VI’s favorite pastime IS reading. She actually probably read a LOT while spending all that time in prison…

I will quibble with your last two points because while I understand you’re exaggerating these remarks to make a point, I’ve also seen your other posts and you’ve got some dog-shit takes yourself, so there’s some clarification we need to do here…

You come at these stories from the perspective of “character A does bad thing therefor character A is irredeemable and anyone who defends character A is a bad person who agrees with their actions.”

WE come at these stories from the perspective of “character A does bad things and we recognize that it is a bad thing but that it has meaning and purpose in the narrative and needs to happen for A to grow and develop as a complex character.”

Which is why so many of us defend Caitlyn because you, and many others like you, keep trying to over exaggerate her actions so you can write her off as irredeemable and you completely ignore the reasons these events happen in the story and what it means for the narrative because you can’t seem to divest it from real life.

That’s why we make fun of you. I’m a fucking liberal ass lesbian who hates the way society is going and cops in general, but I will defend Caitlyn because for the NARRATIVE i understand what they’re doing and why.

Seeing all these people say "Yeah Vi can't read Caitlyn has to explain stuff for her" "Caitlyn fixed Vi by making her a cop" "Caitlyn using the Gray wasn't even that bad" "Most of the people in Zaun are criminals anyway so it's not like Caitlyn was gassing innocent people" explains to me why people love season 2 despite the fact that it's so terrible and incohesive compared to season 1 and the themes that were set up.

These people don't see a problem with the writing because they themselves see Zaun as lesser. Because they are prejudiced. Because they share the centrist politics of the writers, and think that "Piltover and Zaun are just as bad as each other actually :(("

[kryptonbabe]

The Transformers | 1×15 - Fire on the Mountain

Another 1st season fever dream episode in the same veins of Roll for It – with a plot held together by tin foil and some cool light strings. It develops in unexpected ways, and while not always the most logical ones, this show keeps the action fun and the dialogues amusingly silly, making the whole experience worthwhile.

A down point, however, is the sadly anticlimactic comeback of Skyfire, he deserved better than an unexplained resurrection, we could have an emotional moment, an unstable Starscream both angry and relieved with his frienemy's return, chaos, cheering, toxic Megatron lines, robot drama, so much that could've been. But no, apparently Skyfire died and was just chilling in a block of ice waiting to be defrosted again, my boy trapped in cycles of ice ages. At the end though I'm glad he got back so we could have this:

Dead, alive, dead again, alive again, Skyfire remains silly [Chuckling].

We also got an almost treason arc involving Thundercracker and Starscream, which I also wish was more developed because one of my favorite things about the Decepticons is how evil they are with each other, how their organization is not kept by admiration for a leader or strong convictions, but by a thirst for power and mutual fear. The Thundercracker / Starscream conflict on this episode adds to the tension of the already fraught relationship of Megatron and Starscream. Thundercracker's shady intentions are introduced to the power play, adding to the constant scheming of the Decepticons.

"Byyyye!" Mockery & contempt among the Decepticons.

That creates an interesting dynamic between the groups, particularly because the Autobots work closely together and care for each other in ways that make their team work way more effective than that of their enemies.

The difference between Autobot and Decepticon group banter.

I'm not saying anything about the plot, and that's because I don't think it matters much here, there is a story, but only as motivation to keep the characters moving, the focus is mostly on the character interactions and the action scenes. We have great episodes in this 1st season that I truly believe could be adapted into higher budget animation films (or other projects) – like The Ultimate Doom or Countdown to Extinction – this is not one of these, but it's still highly entertaining, a messy and yet joyful experience, much like what I've come to expect from this show, at least at this 1st season.

[forevergoldgame]

Episode 1 Progress Update, Part 2

We're in the process of putting all the story scenes we've written in-engine! As we go, Dan's hacking through the remaining art assets, and I'm tying up some loose ends related to systems and variable storage.

Keep reading for more details!

Writing, writing, writing

At this point, the draft mentioned in the previous update has been more or less fully realized. There's still plenty of editing to do, of course, but the episode's narrative is complete aside from a collection of short variable scenes.

We won't reveal too many specifics just yet, but the scope of Episode 1 will take you from Quincy's last day as mine inspector through to the christening of the Prince's Convoy. Along the way, you'll meet most everyone from the demo (save for Oscar and Imani) as well as a few characters you haven't, make foundational choices about the kind of man Quincy is, and actually get a proper introduction to the setting and conflict.

Changes to: art, character designs

You may have noticed some of the portraits in these screencaps are different from the demo. Once Episode 1 is out, it will be much harder to make design changes, and so we've decided to take the opportunity to revise a few character designs we weren't happy with. Nothing too crazy, but you might see a change of hair style or color here and there.

Art updates might happen here and there throughout development as Dan's work evolves, but the character designs themselves are less likely to such alterations after release. (Not counting diegetic changes in appearance, of course.)

[PICTURED: Dan's faltering suspension of disbelief over Lucas's ability to continuously dye his roots while traveling. ]

Changes to: systems, traits, and more

As we wrote Episode 1, I spent a lot of time rethinking the back end. Writing an entire episode gave me perspective on how the systems I wrote for the demo did and didn't work. I could talk at length about this, but most of said systems (like experience/leveling and reputation) were not represented in the demo due to its small scope. Seeing as no one would really understand or appreciate the details, I'll try to keep it brief instead.

LEVELING: Originally, leveling was going to be based on earning experience points. EXP would be awarded for completing quests and attempting skill checks, but we found that pacing an EXP curve in a game like this was a lot of work for a system which is ultimately at odds with a story based more on "narrative" than "winning." In the end, we did away with the concept of EXP in favor of a leveling system that is tied to main story progression.

REPUTATION: You may recall from the demo that Quincy's statistics listed a few different reputation continuum: rebel or orthodox, apathetic or ambitious, and so on. These were going to be tallies that kept track of the player's cumulative actions so that the system could easily calculate how certain characters felt about Quincy in a somewhat organic way. However, once we got writing, we realized the system was needlessly complicated, full of logistical holes, and redundant with other decision tracking handled by other parts of the system. And so, I replaced it with...

IDEALS: Ideals are somewhat like traits in that they alter text pertaining to Quincy's inner monologue and offer the player special dialog options. However, unlike traits, Quincy's ideals are somewhat malleable. If a Quincy with the "earnest" ideal continuously lies at every opportunity... well, eventually someone will notice.

AFFINITY/FRIENDSHIP: Much like reputation, the affinity system from the demo was both overly complicated and too simple to do what it needed. We knew we wanted something more organic than the standard "you completed my sidequest so now I'm in love with you because you're the main character" RPG approach since Forever Gold is more story-based, but the solution I came up with... was stupid.

I won't say how the new affinity system works - it'd spoil some of the magic if I told you exactly what actions the game was tracking and why - but it's simple on the back end while having enough complexity to create interesting roleplaying.

TRAITS: Traits have largely remained the same but have gained more importance as other systems shifted. In addition to the eight available to choose in the demo, there are three more to see in Episode 1. A few of them have been tweaked or renamed for clarity: the two traits that shared the name "Haretouched" are now called "Pariah" and "Maverick" to prevent confusion, and "Cleithrophobic" has been expanded into "Wilding" so that it better acts as a parallel quirk to Plutonist.

BETTER TOUCH CONTROLS FOR MOBILE + SMOOTHER NAVIGATION FOR DESKTOP: As it says on the tin. A lot of navigation that felt like it should have been swipeable on mobile or scrollable on desktop wasn't. But it is now!

In closing...

We're getting there. Man are we getting there. We've been pulling crazy hours on this lately.

-LS

[thrashkink-coven]

Okay so, again, I am not a Jew so I’m not going to tell you how to feel about your own religion, but I will clear some stuff up.

1. Lilith, alike all demons within demonolatry, is not one singular thing. Just like Lucifer, Phosphorus is not just one thing. I cannot deny that Lilith is a figure with Judaism, but I do know that the Lilith within Judaism absolutely takes its roots within the Lilitue of Sumerian mythology and folk legends of various groups of people in the ancient middle east like the Babylonians and Assyrians. That is the most widely agreed upon understanding of Liliths origins by religious scholars and historians alike. I cannot stress enough how strange it is to exclude the Mesopotamian, Babylonian, Assyrian etc traditions simply because another culture, Israelites, also described the same entity. Liliths context as the first wife of Adam in Judaism is no more important or legitimate than her context as a Mesopotamian demon. There is far more evidence to suggest that Lilith is simply the Hebrew translation of this commonly known demon than there is to suggest that Lilith is a new and original invention of Judaism.

I’m not saying that Lilith isn’t Jewish, she is. I’m saying that Lilith’s archetype and character isn’t exclusive to Judaism, because it literally isn’t. To me, this sounds a lot like an “Aphrodite didn’t descend from Astarte because Aphrodite is Greek and Astarte is Phoenician”. Aphrodite is not Astarte, not directly. They are not literally the same Goddess, but Aphrodite is directly inspired by and derived from Astarte. Does this mean Astarte is any less Phonecian? No, we’re using her name founded by the Phoenicians and recognizing her by the face those people identified. Just like using the name “Lilith” specifically calls upon her face as she was recognized by the Jews. But it is also the strongest surviving name of this entity, just like Stolas is the strongest surviving name of that entity, so it has become common for people to use the name Lilith when referring to her in any of these faces, not just that which was described by the Jews. You are witnessing syncretization in real time.

The Lilith of Judaism is not the same as the Lilitue from Sumer, and neither of them are the same as the Lilith within demonolatry. Just like the fallen Lucifer of Christianity is not the same as Eosphoros from Greece. They are still fundamentally connected to each other, and the traditions of different groups of people got syncretized together constantly in the ancient world. All of these ideas contribute to the ideas of and our understanding of these deities. Judaism was not the first and it wasn’t the last, that doesn’t mean it’s not included.

Whether or not Jews believe in demons is not some blanket yes or no answer. It depends wildly on who you ask and beliefs evolved through time. While most modern Jews would say no, the belief was certainly very different in ancient times. Again, I’m not a Jew so I’ll just let other Jews speak for me:

“As compared with other ancient Near Eastern texts, in which demons play a central role, the Bible is nearly silent about the existence of supernatural beings. But not the Talmud. The Talmud has a rich, though vague, demonology. Houses of study are described as being filled with demons when sexual energy is not properly channeled. Great rabbis are able to perceive demons sitting on the right and left hands of every person. They are able to harness the divine creative energies to create animals which can then be consumed for food. And, in the talmudic world, spirits are everywhere: They haunt dark places, homes, even the crumbs left on the dinner table.”

“The mythic structure of the Kabbalah provided many colorful answers to that question: demons and dybbuks, golems, and ghosts are all the results of misspent life energy. But the Kabbalah does not develop its ideas out of nowhere; they are part of a long history of Jewish speculation about shedim (demons, also a word used to refer to foreign gods) and demonic personalities such as Lilith.”

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/demons-dybbuks-ghosts-golems/#:~:text=The%20Talmud%20has%20a%20rich,left%20hands%20of%20every%20person.

Again, I don’t want to be the guy that explains Judaism to a Jew. I do understand the origins of Mount Azazel, but that origin does not make his current context irrelevant. Within many interpretations Azazel is a demon, that’s not untrue because he was previously identified as a mountain. Christian Magis and right handed occultists personified Azazel as a demon, just as they did with all concepts of evil within the Bible. We still don’t entirely understand what Moloch was, most historians believe it was not a deity but a type of sacrifice. Regardless, within demonolatry, Moloch has been personified as a demon, and as has Azazel. To say “Azazel was a mountain in Judaism so that means that’s all he has and will ever be” completely ignores the phenomenon of syncretism and how deities and religions evolve through time.

Lucifer’s inclusion in the Bible is due to a mistranslation of a verse in Isaiah. Does this mean all of the Christian lore and culture describing Lucifer as the devil suddenly doesn’t matter? Does it make Lucifer any less valuable as a character and symbol within Christianity? No. Nor does it make Azazel an unimportant character within Demonolatry. All of these things matter.

I’m not lumping Judaism and Christianity together by any means other than them both literally being Abrahamic faiths that follow the God of Abraham, which I spelt as YHWH, because I am using english characters and because you’re right, it’s not the exact name, which I avoid using in general, because I am not Jewish. You still understand exactly what I mean when I say YHWH. I’m not going to use the actual name just to make a point.

Judaism quite literally is the first Abrahamic religion. Me calling it an Abrahamic religion is factually correct. Christianity is derived from Judaism, speaking about them together was only in attempt to provide context to the theological backgrounds of the right handed practitioners who documented these demons in the first place. They all followed the God of Abraham, that does not imply that Christianity and Judaism are the same thing.

Regardless of if Judaism formally recognizes sin or if there is a hebrew word that directly translates to sin,

(????? there is??? and there most definitely is a concept of sin within Judaism even if it differs from Christianity, honestly super confused about this point tbh

“Jewish tradition does not understand human imperfections as being the result of an “original sin” by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.1 Sin is the result of our negative human tendencies or inclinations,2 known in Hebrew as the yetzer hara (the inclination toward evil)3, which must be channeled in ways that affirm life by the influence of the yetzer hatov (the inclination to goodness). The word in Hebrew for sin (ḥet or chet/chata, sometimes khata) literally means something that goes astray, like an arrow that misses the mark. When an archer misses the target, it is not a permanent failure. Rather, an archer can keep trying to get arrows closer to the target and ultimately to its center. There is no guarantee of immediate success, nor does success ensure that the goal will be reached in all subsequent attempts.”

- https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/article/sin-and-forgiveness/

working with and consulting demons has always been taboo within both Judaism and Christianity. It is taboo within any Abrahamic religion. That was my main point, no person who is of an Abrahamic, monotheistic theology is going to be consulting Azazel or Lilith for help with magical operations. No practicing Jew works with demons anyways, so it does not make theological sense that demons would only recognize the one group of people who are least likely to interact with them.

Of course Jews and Christians alike would discourage working with Lilith. This is again, not because she is particularly closed to Judaism but because she is a demon. Wearing a Kippah if you’re not Jewish is cultural appropriation. Jews don’t discourage other Jews from wearing Kippahs. All people, Jewish or not, are discouraged by Jews to work with demons. It has less to do with culture and more to do with morals. Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure Jews look down upon demonolatry in general, regardless of if it’s Lilith or Asmodeus, or another pagan deity like Aphrodite. According to this theology, all “deities” outside of the one true God are demons. Working with any of them would be taboo. Jews encourage us to stay away from Lilith for the exact same reason Christians urge us to stay away from Satan. At the end of the day, it’s religious people telling witches and demonolaters not to work with demons, which has always been obvious.

And in regards to the converting thing, my statement still remains true. You cannot convert into Judaism without being initiated by that 4,000 year old family. We’re saying the same thing. I’m not downplaying the significance of Judaism as a religion or the ethnic culture that goes along with it.

Again, I’m not here to lecture Jews about Judaism, I am simply passionate about the history of theology and how these deities develop over time. The original question was: is practicing demonolatry antisemitic? and my answer still remains the same. No. Practicing demonolatry is not antisemitic unless you yourself are antisemitic.

I myself am not a Jew, so again, this is all just the opinion of someone who has no authority on the subject. You are more than free to disagree with me. I myself do not work with Lilith (I’ve only worked with her a handful of times) and so this conversation doesn’t affect me as much as it may others. I am open to being incorrect, that wouldn’t offend me. Having said that, I don’t appreciate the insinuation that I share these ideas without doing the appropriate research. I wouldn’t be speaking about this off the top of my head because again, I am not Jewish. I can only echo the sentiments of scholars with far more experience than I.

Hi, Shi! So, I saw your post about white saviours in the community and I wanted to ask about the Judaism one specifically. I am not white but nor am I Jewish, in ethnicity or religion, but I was also told that demonolatry spreads harmful ideas about Judaism. Because of that, I kind of stepped back from my demonolatry research for a moment. But your post did get me thinking. I guess I'm kind of just asking for clarification. Is it okay for me to practice demonolatry as a non-Jewish person or not? Sorry for the super long ask. Thank you, love your blog!

Okay, this is a kind of complex topic.

Demonolatry is the practice of worshipping demons. This can apply to any demon not just those with English names. There are people who worship the demons mentioned in Islam just as much as there are those who worship those with Jewish and Latin names, and there’s a ton of overlap.

The concept of “demon” can only exist if you conceive of some kind of supernatural divide between Gods and spirits. Many demonolaters consider all spirits including Gods to be “Spirits”; the distinction is not important and doesn’t have any real meaning. It’s rare to hear of demons in religions or spiritualities that do not have a dualistic philosophy, you don’t hear about Hindu demons often for example. And the word “demon” in English comes from the Greek “daimon” actually referred to any spirit or divine being. Pinpointing what is and isn’t demon, daemon or spirit is a matter of perspective.

The idea that you can only work with demons that have Hebrew names if you are a Jew is one that literally doesn’t make grammatical sense.

If you are a practicing Jew or hold an Abrahamic theology, to worship or revere any demon would be a violation of your theistic laws. It’s a sin, a big one. Every deity, spirit, God/Goddess from every other religion or belief is a demon to you because you believe there is only one true God. That means Norse, Greek, Egyptian, etc. deities are also considered to be demons.

Because of this theology, every time that people of Abrahamic religions (Christians, Catholics, Jews, Muslims) encountered pagans who worshipped other Gods, they were demonized. Aphrodite/ Astarte became Astaroth, Phosphorus became Lucifer who then became Satan, Cerberus became Naberius, and so on and so on.

It’s incredibly important to remember that just because a name is written in a certain language, Hebrew for example, that does not directly imply that the deity is closed to the religion of Judaism. Not all people who spoke Hebrew were Isrealites, and not every spirit that was described by them was closed to them. Lilith for example was a deity/spirit that was recognized by multiple groups of people before the Israelites existed as a definitive and monotheistic group. Lilith was described by the Sumerians for example, her strongest surviving name and archetype is that which was described by the Jews because the Jews themselves survived and the Sumerians did not.

Most demonic names you will encounter will either be written in Latin, English, or Hebrew, not because these demons are closed to those cultures but because their documentation was only ever really considered legitimate when it was done by the followers of Yahweh. This is one of the major effects of colonization in general. If I as a Phoenician pagan say that Astarte is kind and beautiful, that doesn’t matter to any Roman Catholic. If I as a Catholic say that Astaroth is a perverted demoness who tricks men into demonic sex, the church might actually listen and write that down. Us 1000 years in the future may look at that name and assume Astaroth is a Roman demon and not a Phonecian Goddess who was described by Roman people and documented in Latin.

We speak English, so the demons that are accessible to us are usually recorded from the Abrahamic religions that speak English- Christianity. Our demons are not cosmologically “Christian” nor necessarily have anything to do with the Christian God specifically (Lucifer is a Roman deity and would have had no biblical interactions or connection with YHWH according to their origins). But Christians gave them names and we use those names for the sake of consistency and to reduce confusion across languages. Many times, the original names have been lost and the infernal aspect and name is all that remains. It is the life’s work of many Demonolaters to restore their deitie’s cult to its glory, to discover these dead names or to ensure that the surviving name… survives.

There are a select few demons who’s names originate in the Jewish tradition, Azazel for example, was the scapegoat of the Isrealites who then went on to command the Watchers who became the fathers of the Nephilim. But these demons aren’t necessarily considered to be closed to Judaism- again, because no Jew is ever going to reach out to a demon before the big GOD himself. There is no theological reason why Azazel would only recognize Jewish or Christian people. If you acknowledge Azazel as the scapegoat and use that name, you are referencing his archetype as it was described by the Isrealites. Likewise if you use the name Lilith and consider her to be Adam’s first wife, you are also using her archetype as she was described by the Jews. But that doesn’t mean that Lilith herself is considered to be a sacred figure within the religion of Judaism any more than Aphrodite is. They’re all demons. There is only one God.

There’s a stronger argument to be made for the big three Jewish angels - Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, being closed to the Jewish religion because they literally are the angels patroned to the people of Israel and they are majority involved in the actual worship of their God- although I don’t really consider them to be closed either because, according to their theology, they would protect any human being created by God (which would be everyone).

The thing that you actually need to consider is if the deity is:

1. Culturally tied specifically and only to the people inside that closed religion- Demons were said to fuck with everyone, all of humanity, not just Jews. The Wendigo was a culturally significant creature that specifically targeted the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island.

2. Intrinsic to the actual act of worship/ practicing itself- No practicing Jew incorporates Lilith or any demon into their prayers in the way they might with Archangel Michael.

3. Conceived of by the culture itself- Lilith is far older than Judaism and they do not claim to have conceived of her, whereas Michael was literally created by the Isrealites and was always said to act in the best interest of Israel as a nation.

4. Is revered and considered sacred- If I call Lilith or Belial nasty little whores, no jew is going to flinch, they probably agree. If I even speak the name of their God which is considered to be so sacred that it should not even be said in prayer, that’s insanely offensive. If I use the Tetragrammaton or wear it frivolously, someone is going to call me out.

Many western occultists have certainly appropriated sacred things from other cultures, ESPECIALLY from Judaism. Rather than admit their clear inspiration they bastardized the names and essentially stole incredibly important spiritual concepts (Qabalah). As much value is there is in the Qliphothic tradition it is also majorly appropriated from Jewish mysticism which is supposed to be knowledge closed to specific Rabbis. That’s why I’m not the biggest fan of people like Aliester Crowley.

This doesn’t mean to say that you can’t learn about anything Jewish, or Indigenous or Muslim etc. I try my best to always learn from people who are actually of the faith and not asshats who try to take the culture out of the practice. Some things genuinely are sacred and should not be appropriated, I don’t think that demons in general are one of those things.

It’s also important to remember that practices and deities aren’t always synonymous.

The Loa sprits of Voodoo religions are closed because they are ancestral spirits specific to the people in that culture. I can’t invoke my Haitian friend’s great great great grandmother and expect her to do my bidding. I can’t invoke the ancestral spirits of the Indigenous peoples of America and expect it to recognize me. I can’t even pronounce those names.

Hoodoo being closed to the black community is due to Hoodoo being not only a practice,but a survival mechanism of the black slaves who were imported into America during the slave trade. It was the blending of African spirituality with the assimilated Christianity of their masters. But theologically, most black people who practice Hoodoo have a predominantly Abrahamic faith, with belief in the Bible (although usually an alternate version) and belief in the one true God. You cannot practice the act of Hoodoo if you do not have the context of your experience as black person and the unique familial/ancestral relationships and knowledge they possess.

Likewise, you cannot practice Native American spirituality, or smudge with white sage because you do not have any experience or context living as an aboriginal in this land. Due to … yknow, colonization and genocide, most aboriginal tribes have opted to keep their practices extremely closed and sacred. I couldn’t even do it if I wanted to because I don’t even know where to start, I would have to be taught by the people they have elected to know this sacred practice.

You cannot be a practicing Jew if you are not initiated into the religion. Working with these fringe spirits is not nearly the same as appropriating the closed Jewish practice. What I and other demonolaters do is not even remotely close.

Demonolatry is not organized, it’s a self actualizing practice. Sure we have priests and priestesses, but we usually operate in cults.

I don’t know how to explain the irony in this take because if demonolaters and outcasts don’t work with and worship these spirits … literally no one will. The left hand path is crooked for a reason, alternative subcultures are alternative for a reason. The cults of Phosphorus and Lilith have never been as big as they are now. For these fringe deities to have survived so long and somehow even entered the mainstream is honestly incredibly impressive lol.

People who are unconcerned with being outcasted from Abrahamic theology aren’t going to stop practicing with their demons because religious people think it’s bad. I’m already practicing witchcraft. I already don’t believe in monotheistic theology, and there’s an entire rainbow of other things I do that are unacceptable to Judaism, Christianity and so on. The thing I care about is not disrespecting the actual culture and the things that are truly important to them.

You won’t really catch me wearing crosses, referencing Catholic practices, or talking about my practice in reference or opposite to Christianity or Judaism. I don’t defile Jewish or Christian traditions or bastardize their teachings. My practice is not the invert of their doctrine. It’s a completely separate and individual practice and philosophy.

This is LONGER THAN I MEANT IT TO BE

TLDR: No, demonolatry is not antisemitic.

It can be antisemitic if you happen to be antisemitic and many antisemitic people have historically ruined the fun for the rest of us (thanks Crowley)

But no, practicing Demonolatry does not make you racist. Being a pagan also doesn’t mean you hate religion.

[rockybloo]

im sure youve answered this SOMEWHERE but how has jack and nana changed personality wise over the years? specifically i was wondering if nana was always this (head?)strong in your first iterations of her, or if it came naturally over time of you figuring out her character!

I know I've answered for Jack and Nana AGES ago, and a more recent answer for Jack here BUT I don't think I've ever truly gone in depth for Nana's development (which is crazy because she was the one out of the two who changed the most).

This is gonna be a WEE bit long so I'mma put my Nana blabbering under cut (bc she is my fav OC right next to her boyfriend)

SO THE VERY FIRST NANA was not head strong at all. She wasn't even a Lupine or had any special powers, save for having a Marchen like everyone else. But since she wasn't part of the main team back when I made her, you rarely saw it in action since she wasn't a fighter.

Girl was small, timid, had a crush on Jack, and...that was really it. That was her whole personality. Which was a big issue because I realized "Oh wow this fuckin' sucks" since there just wasn't any creative chemistry going on. It was just another "Male protagonist and his love interest". No seasoning or side dishes. Plain as hell.

And then I one day realized it'd be fun to make her part Lupine because I loved when people twisted Little Red Riding Hood and made her a wolf.

At this point, she was starting to get more bite to her (no pun intended) because there was the element of her being half human and half Lupine and how that impacted her life and relation to the world around her. She wasn't shy or timid anymore, but she was def quiet. More assertive than her first iteration but not fully at her "Fuck around and find out" present self.

I can't really remember the exact point in time I decided I wanted to give her her "Damn being a Damsel" mindset but I think it was when I was realizing I really liked Cats Don't Dance and Hercules and how much I still very much enjoy Sawyer and Meg's personalities in both films that I started to lean more into Nana being more independent. Plus Danny and Herc have some influence on Jack so it just made sense to take inspiration.

Of course, I didn't want to make her a complete copy and paste of the two so I sprinkled in some of my own experiences as an introvert. I think this was the secret ingredient to fully making her the Nana we know now. She got more "mean", though it was really her just not having time for anybody's foolishness, not even Jack's (initially). Boy had to work hard to get where he is now.

I would def say that Nana has the most complex personality out of all my OCs because she has so many different sides she shows and they all depend on who she is around and what the situation is.

She can be an utter introvert to the point of avoiding interactions, to being a merciless and relentless opponent when in battle, to a mildly awkward (bc she is new to this friend thing) yet endearing and loyal friend, to a mischief maker and enabler when hanging out with Ashe, to the flirt and seductress when alone with Jack because she loves hearing how quick his hear thumps and how cute his stuttering is.

She can also be a goofball. Half of the goofiness is from her regaining it from her childhood when her dad was still alive, and the other half is from her boyfriend rubbing off on her.

BUT YEAH

Nana's present day personality has been a 10 year development basically. VERY HAPPY with where it is now because it adds so much more to Beanstalked than her original "Shy village girl" schtick.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi nalyra, I saw the MW Felix comment and I have to say it's sadly very much in character for the Lestat they have built. We've seen lestat make comments about seeing people as "inferiors" and "cattle", we've seen him not only enjoying the hunt but also mocking his victims (Mardi Gras, the tenor). He believes the earth to be a savage garden. As per Sam's comments lestat has fully embraced being a monster and his future arc will supposedly be to "crawl his way back to his humanity" (in contrast to louis whose arc is the opposite). His motivation according to sam is shame. Shame for things we've seen (I dread what they will do with claudias death and lestats involvement)

With season 3 coming I think it's safe to say we can take rolin and Sam and everything we have seen so far as face value. This is not the humanity loving, his light ever persevering, forgiving to the point of naive book lestat.

It's rolins interpretation of lestat which is...lacking if I say so. If he sees him as a sad clown or someone who would hurt his most beloved companion (which is directly against what Anne wrote bc she has lestat saying he'd never hurt louis and he never has) well then this is what we're getting.

I have been personally gutted by coming to this conclusion, that this is what the show is actually serving us. Messy vampires who are monsters and do monstrous things and petty relationship drama with some brilliant moments on the side, where I was hoping it would be the other way around. I really don't think they have a bigger plan in mind where all will be explained and made right, season two revisions and the latest autumn brown interview and long face reveals killed that hope.

We can certainly engage for the show for what it is and keep the good parts to enjoy it but I would be lying if I said its easy to do that. The show really has the potential to be impeccable and for some reason the creators chose to limit it and mischaracterize the lead of the series.

I know this isn't a fun topic to discuss (it certainly has not been fun for me to think about) but since it's a conversation that's been happening I'd love to hear your and everyone's thoughts !

It's funny, isn't it, that the version of Lestat we're getting is this jaded, hardened person, thanks to the shift they did, and the Louis we're getting is the version ... who got some of Lestat's good characteristics / world views.

I mean, I remember Rolin saying that, that they gave the evildoer-thing to Louis on purpose. Which, granted, at the time I didn't mind it much - but now it becomes ever clearer that they've pumped Louis up to be a better character by using (some of) Lestat's characteristics, which is... a choice.

And I agree, this is the show Lestat, and, in the context of the shift in character and time, it does make sense(!)

I have talked about it in the turning post, and others - this Lestat is a lot more jaded, he's been alone, he's been hurt, he's experienced heavy loss. He has experience with vampires, pitch forks and torches, and... Armand.

He clings to what he has quite differently. And can lash out a lot harder, too.

I've said it before, this is what we'll get. I waited 30 years for this show. There won't be another anytime soon, not that I'd necessarily want one(!), and I'm also anxious about certain real life developments which could have impact sooner or later.

I WILL enjoy this.

Like hope, with bloody knuckles. :)

But it is clear and has been stated that this is not Anne's Lestat, and that is actually quite the statement.

They are adapting the Vampire Chronicles - and fundamentally changed the main character(s). That will have repercussions for the upcoming arcs. And I do think the hinted at Amel plot is only the tip of the iceberg there, and when it hits it won't be pretty.

I have seen a development like this before, this "adaption of the books but freeing themselves of the books"... we all have I guess. The Witcher, for example, which was an incredible let down with season 2 for me. I hope this show will not follow that example. But when Rolin said something to that effect in one interview (I think it was a video) the alarm bells did ring in my mind.

Anyways. No, it isn't fun to talk about this.

But I'd rather be surprised positively by s3 than otherwise :)

[two-sheep-in-one-wolfs-clothing]

being a httyd fan means loving httyd1 toothless and hating rtte toothless

[max-the-entertainer]

What the hell, I might as well do this too

1. Favourite Character: Leon Kuwata

2. Least Favourite Character: Makoto Naegi (I don't hate him, my thoughts on him *have* mellowed out a decent amount, but he's a Mary Sue and I'm just not particularly fond; also, it isn't his fault, but the harem shit turns me off)

3. Best Girl: Toko Fukawa (Honourable Mentions: Junko Enoshima, Mukuro Ikusaba, Sonia Nevermind, Sayaka Maizono)

4. Best Boy: Leon Kuwata (Honourable Mentions: Monokuma, yes, really, Mondo Owada, Byakuya Togami, Hajime Hinata, Rantaro Amami)

5. Favourite Protag: Tied between Kaede and Hajime

6. Favourite Antag: Junko Enoshima (Byakuya's my favourite of the three who are *considered* antagonists but I don't consider him a real antagonist, and I like Junko more)

7. OTP: Kuwaberg (Leon & Celeste)

8. BroTP: Naekuwagami (Makoto, Byakuya, & Leon: the Aqua Teen Hunger Force/Inbetweeners of Danganronpa) Honourable Mention: Kiriludenzono (Kyoko, Sayaka, and Celeste: same thing, but women)

9. NoTP: Naekusaba, Naeshima (Most ships with Makoto, honestly) There's no others I genuinely dislike, if I'm honest

10. Favourite Straight Ship: Kuwaberg (Leon & Celeste)

11. Favourite YAOI Ship: Kuwamami (Leon & Rantaro)

12. Favourite YURI Ship: Ngl, I don't have many, but I'm rather fond of Yumaga (Angie & Himiko) quite a bit

13. Favourite Game: I like them all, but probably SDR2

14. Favourite DR1 Character: Leon Kuwata

15. Favourite SDR2 Character: Ngl, I really fuck with Sonia Nevermind

16. Favourite DRV3 Character: Tied with Tsumugi Shirogane & Rantaro Amami

17. Character I'd burn in a hole: Hifumi, Teruteru, or Kazuichi. Honourable Mention: Makoto, I wouldn't burn him, but I *would* kick the shit out of him

18. Talent I'd want: Ultimate Martial Artist, Ultimate Musician, or Ultimate Programmer

19. Favourite Execution: Thousand Blows, I appreciate the dark tone and the mood it sets

20. Favourite Soundtrack: Depends on my mood, either "Climactic Re-Enactment", "Class Trial: Dawn", or "Miss. Monomi's Practice Lesson"

21. Character I would revive: If it *has* to be one, Leon, if I'm allowed multiple: Leon, Sayaka, Chihiro, Mondo, and Taka

22. Saddest Death: Either Leon, Taka, or Mondo

23. Favourite Minor Character: Don't know, to be perfectly honest

24. Character I wish was real: Sayaka Maizono, I'd probably enjoy her music and I'd love to see her in a beef

25. Weakest Character: Hiyoko, or if we're talking physically: yeah, probably still Hiyoko

26. Most Boring Character: I'm sorry, but it's gotta be Makoto, like I said: Mary Sue (or whatever the male equivalent's called)

27. Character with most development: I can't say objectively, but I'd probably go with either Fuyuhiko or Byakuya

28. Fashionable Character: Rantaro's got some kinda gift from Junko or something cus *fuck* his clothes are good

29. Strongest Character: Byakuya (Not my favourite, but I'll admit, he moved me a lot) Or if we're talking physically: Izuru

30. Character I'm similar to: Leon, kind of, I have ambition and I'm pretty smart, just lazy as fuck

30 day ronpa

I did this on tiktok but lost motivation so I'm doing this all at once.

Favourite character: Kiyotaka Ishimaru

Least favourite character: Hifumi Yamada (NOT JUST BECAUSE HE KILLED TAKA PLEASE DONT COME AT ME-)

Best girl: Sonia Nevermind, Sayaka Maizono.

Best Boy (other than Taka): Mondo Owada, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Gundham Tanaka.

Favourite Protag: Hajime Hinata

Favourite Antagonist: Nagito Komaeda

OTP (One-True-Pairing/top ship): Ishimondo

BrOTP (platonically in love): Hinanami (hajimexchiaki) or makosaya (makotoxsayaka)

NOTP (I did these the wrong way around sorry lol): Despaircest (mukuroxjunko), anybody x junko, anybody x hifumi tbh.

Favourite straight ship: Sondam (soniaxgundham) or naegiri (makotoxkyoko) fuyupeko is 3rd lol.

Favourite gay ship (other than ishimondo): Komahina (hajimexnagito)

Favourite Yuri ship: sakuraoi (sakuraxaoi), soapies (mahiruxhiyoko)

Favourite Game: SDR2 (Danganronpa 2 goodbye despair)

Favourite THH charac.: Kiyotaka ishimaru, Mondo Owada, Aoi Asahina.

Favourite SDR2 character: Sonia Nevermind, fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Gundham Tanaka, Akane Owari, Mikan Tsumiki (I LOVE SDR2 SM I COULDNT CHOOSE SORRY-)

Fave V3 Character: Gonta Gokuhara, Kaito Momota, Ryoma Hoshi (haven't played v3)

Charac I'd burn in a hole: Celeste for her trash motive, Hifumi probs, maybe Miu, I don't despise any character tbh. WAIT, MAHIRU. ID BURN MAHIRU-

Talent I'd want: Chiaki Nanami (ult. Gamer), Angie Yonaga (ult. Artist) Sayaka Maizono (Ultimate Pop Sensation/Idol Star.)

Favourite execution: Mondo Owada (Cage of death) (NOT THE STORY BEHIND IT, BUT OMG BRUTAL) or Peko Pekoyama (The Ultimats swordswoman.)

Favourite soundtrack: All-Star-Apologies, (SDR2 VER.) Trapped By The Ocean Scent (I think this is a track but it might just be a chapter name sorry idk.)

A character I would revive: Ishimaru deserved to live. I thought his morals would get him through tbh-

Saddest Death: I can't decide, but Chihiro, Mondo, Taka, Peko, Gundham, Nekomaru.

Favourite Minor characters: CHUCK OWADA- (Mondos Dog)

Character I wish was real: Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Sayaka Maizono. (I'd study with Taka and stream Maizonos music.)

Weakest Character: Hiyoko saionji, Mahiru Koizumi.

Most boring character: Sato. She's not in the main games but wtf. Mahiru Koizumi, Sato, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Kirumi too.

Character with most development: FUYUHIKO KUZURYU OMG-

fashionable character: idc what y'all say id steal Leons fit in a heartbeat. (Leon Kuwata)

strongest character: Nekomaru Nidai, Sakura Ogami, Kenshiro (Sakuras opponent).

Character I'm similar to: Kiyotaka Ishimaru..... i Am biased but wtv :3

[sukibenders]

Glinda mentions to Elphaba how Fiyero can't stop thinking about that moment in Dillamond's class, or that he's having thoughts in general and how it worries her because it's not something she's used to from him (which is him thinking about actual things), in contrast to Elphaba, who doesn't seem all that bothered and, even more so interested in the manner when Fiyero brings up how he can't stop thinking about when they rescued the lion cub. I don't know about everyone else but for me, even with this scene probably being added for lighthearted value, I also see it as another piece in the puzzle cementing how Fiyero's and Glinda's actions will, eventually, either pull them closer or further away from Elphaba. I lowkey don't like it when people act surprised or confused as to why Glinda was spelled or get annoyed that Fiyero is in her place but I, personally, don't think she would have helped in that moment, specifically in the movie.

Prior to the train scene, Glinda is shown to, not only, be completely rude and spoiled (as shown with her literally fainting over not getting her way), when in class, she publicly points out Dillamond's inability to pronounce her name correctly even though it's an obvious struggle, parading in front of the class how easier it was for her other teachers to do it, then being dismissive during the rest of the lesson when learning the importance of history and why to learn from it (correct me if I'm wrong, as it has been a minute since I've seen the movie). All that already tells me that she doesn't really care for the animals' cause, let alone enough to follow Elphaba and Fiyero into the woods after stealing the lion cub and I think, subconsciously, Elphaba knew that. In fact, I can only see Glinda trying to sway them to leave the cub and how what their new professor wanted to teach probably wasn't all that bad (not saying that she would want the cub to be harmed, just that she would try to rationalize what's going as we've seen her do before). This is the same woman who, after learning that the Wizard was a fraud and responsible for the missing and harmed animals, still tried to justify his actions and berated Elphaba for not "acting accordingly" to the news, but yet we still think she should have been there to save the lion cub? That she would have helped those animals alongside Fiyero and Elphaba? I think it could allude to how Glinda could/will be used to help further push propaganda for the Wizard, especially given how it benefits her socially, as figures of propaganda often don't think too hard, or enough to critique the system around them not because they aren't smart enough too (for the most part), but more so because they understand how their world works and understand the consequences that follow when stepping out of line.

You don't have to like Fiyeraba or even find Fiyero interesting, but to purposely ignore what the movie is presenting you is such a cop-out. Fiyero enters the film being a sort of anti-establishment-like character, caring little if he gets kicked out of Shiz for breaking the rules, or just hardly caring in general (something Elphaba calls him out for), and so on. Why wouldn't he be down to rescue the lion? Even if it was to just feed his rebellious streak, he still would have gone, but when he and Elphaba meet, he's on a talking horse and they are conversing like lifelong friends. That might add another layer to the pair saving the lion. Even if he wasn't on the same level as Elphaba at that moment, the train scene shows that it had a profound impact on him that he couldn't shake. I think, had he been presented with the choice of joining Elphaba or staying, he would have gone, not only for her but also because he now knows that the Wizard is a fraud and most definitely wouldn't stand for what he [Oz] is doing. This is what sets him apart from Glinda which, isn't necessarily me hating on her but just stating facts. Glinda isn't/won't be willing to sacrifice her position and what it brings her, until it's too late (which is the tragedy of her character and her relationship with Elphaba), while Fiyero risks everything, even to some extent his own body (Scarecrow) and, in the end, gets to stand with Elphaba.

[nabaath-areng]

I have way too many alts that I keep to myself (which is why I generally refrain from posting them), but I'm going to ignore that habit for a moment just because I'm feeling particularly insane about this guy.

[themyscirah]

Complaining abt Suicide Squad yet again but the fact that they have Waller exposing the alien community to space racist attacks and talking abt how she got to her position through deceit and being a terrible person and stuff is just. Ahsfiwueh JUST SAY YOU DONT KNOW WALLER.

Anyways literally the 3rd mission of the Squad ever (and the first framed as smth Waller picked and not orders from above) was the Squad discrediting and stopping a rogue vigilante who was only arresting POC and funneling white people into white supremacy groups (of which he was the most prominent member) in SUICIDE SQUAD #4. and it's explicitly framed as this mission being personal for Waller that she's hiding from the government bc its illegal like. Guys. Please why are we having her incite (space bc comics) racist attacks now

Also the whole "Amanda got her position through deceit and being a terrible person" NO. she KEPT her position through being shitty and playing complicated political games!!! She wasn't always that way like there is a difference and it is IMPORTANT ppl PLEASEEEE. In Secret Origins #14 we learn Amanda's backstory and she used to be a normal, caring person! Like even after she entered into working in government and politics she wasn't automatically morally bankrupt like please people. She was originally given control of the Squad by Reagan (*sigh* 80s comics...) to distract and get rid of her because she was so successful at pushing progressive social policy in Congress. Acting like she's this static pillar of evil is such a waste of her character and so fucking uninteresting and disrespectful to her arc it drives me MAD.

Like I am NOT saying Waller is all sunshine and rainbows, she fucking SUCKS (said w love <3) but like there's a human being there. It's a progression, she has a character arc like please, DC, please!!! They've fucked up Waller so bad and made her so opaque and uninteresting she can't even be the protagonist of her own story for fucks sake!

Like I don't know how many times I have to scream it until DC hears me or remembers but WALLER IS THE MAIN CHARACTER OF SUICIDE SQUAD. ITS HER BOOK. yet right now she's a cutout to be used as the villain wherever the writers please. Even in her book we get none of her perspective really displayed, no exploration of her thoughts with any kind of understanding of the role she traditionally has played and was made to play in the story.

[sidecharactersdomatter]

@hikaaa-bi

Ezran also wasn’t my favorite character of The Dragon Prince, since he felt like the least developed character out of the main cast. I do have some nitpicks with how his character was handled. Note, I haven’t seen books 6-7 in their entirety, so this critical analysis covers books 1 to the beginning of 6.

They should’ve changed his voice actor for arc 2.

This first one isn’t’ a huge criticism. As much as I think Sasha Rojen is a good actor. The TDP crew should’ve got a new young adult actor to voice an older Ezran to show how time has passed and how voices change in male adolescence.

2. His ability to communicate with Zym and the local fauna is still confusing.

I know the creators said it was an empathic or empathetic ability. Though every time he explains how he communicates with any animal and his telepathic connection with Zym to the audience it’s basically answering one question but ten more keep getting raised. Since Terry communicated with a nearby bird while searching for Viren in the first episode of Book 6 the creators could’ve confirmed that Ez had a dormant Earth Primal.

3. Doesn’t Ezran also want to help the 4 human kingdoms other than Xadia?

Since we know his goal is to create peace between both sides he should also consider helping the other 4 human kingdoms not just his own. To recap after Book 3, Neolandia’s king is in a coma and his eldest Son was killed at the Storm Spire. Also Del Bar and Evenere’s rulers have been killed. Both events that Viren and mainly Aaravos were responsible for. Shouldn’t Ezran also be sending aide to Neolandia, Del Bar, and Evenere aside from improving relations with Xadia? They could’ve had a B plot where Ez, Soren and Corvus travel to those three kingdoms to help improve their relations with Katolis to fix the discord Aaravos through Viren caused as dealing with the consequences from Books 2-3. Yet that never happened due to the 9 episode limit holding the series on a really tight leash as well as on Ezran’s character development.

4. His arc seemed poorly handled.

It seems like the writers knew what to do with him, but the execution did seem a bit mid. By that I mean Ezran has to constantly learn that words aren’t going to be enough to fully persuade a different side as seen with how he handled Kasef, Finnegrin, and Karim. All three persuasions were never successful. Since all 3 firmly stuck to their beliefs, and Ezran failed to fully convince them. What would’ve helped him is that after failing to convince the opposing side, he could have a moment with him and his allies to help calm him down and try to figure out another way to try convincing again. That would’ve helped the audience to sympathize with him. It wouldn’t have been hard to actually have screen time first Ez where we learn about his character, conflict and development, but it rarely ever happened in the series where they focused more on Callum, Rayla, and Viren. The latter being a character that had a lot more screen time and came off as a more interesting and well written morally ambiguous antagonist. Isn’t it ironic that Viren had plenty of scenes where the writers built him up as a tragic morally gray man and that made the audience sympathize with him? Maybe Ezran should also show why there shouldn’t be violence instead of straight up telling all the time. Since the show operated on Tell don’t Show logic. Words aren’t going to be enough to fully convince the opposite side.

I was really disappointed with how Ezran was handled over the series. He felt like an NPC ruler you’d find in fantasy novels that only helps to advance the story, instead of a leader protagonist who learns their lessons the hard way, constantly makes mistakes in their own arc, and understands what it takes to be a good leader for their kingdom and people.

probably a hot take but i don't really like ezran. i don't dislike him, he just feels like such a 2d character. maybe it's his voice acting (i'm sorry but it's so.. soulless?) or maybe it's the fact that his personality has no depth. like i get it, he's a child but i've seen a lot more interesting characters who were around the same age as him.

[caluupin]

Finished TGAAC around 2 1/2 weeks ago but only finished the doodles today. but still, here ya go!

[greyedian]

MAN I'm seriously so sad about season 2. Bc I wish act 2 had the same emotional impact on me as it appears to have on so many others. But rn I'm just somewhere between unable to care and actively annoyed by some of those writing decisions. Seriously the more I think about it the less I like it.

[mathewton-cl]

As An IzuOcha Shipper…

…them not ending up together isn’t the problem.

Horikoshi taking the “leave it up to interpretation” approach and then proceeding to COMPLETELY AVOID ADDRESSING their relationship status is the problem.

Horikoshi failing to tie up that one last loose end for Uraraka’s character arc (not closing off her feelings) is the problem.

Again, I ship IzuOcha. Still do, because I’m stubborn. Would I have liked for them to end up together, even if it was only a somewhat blatant implication that could be handwaved? Obviously. But you know what? Maybe I would be upset if the story went out of its way to explicitly de-confirm any chance of Midoriya and Uraraka being a romantic pairing, but I’d at least respect it and understand it a lot more if the story let Midoriya and Uraraka actually talk about this, or at the very least SHOWED US them talking about this. I’d understand if Uraraka completed her character arc by having a heart to heart with Midoriya and telling him that her feelings have changed, her priorities have changed, and Midoriya understands and they remain good friends. Let’s be real, romance isn’t Horikoshi’s strong suit, despite his many attempts to leave romantic implications throughout the series. I’d completely understand if he just had Midoriya and Uraraka talk and they didn’t end up together, because at least then it still provides both of their characters with closure.

But no, that’s too simple. Let’s just “leave it up to interpretation,” because it clearly wasn’t that important, right?

Well, as many people on the internet have already brought up, if it wasn’t so important, why did you spend so much time putting emphasis on it? Why did you have Uraraka, up until the FINAL WAR, have her crush on Midoriya be a crucial part of her character (it wasn’t her only character trait, mind you, but it was still important)? Why did the penultimate chapter have the class come to comfort Uraraka and tell her that they can talk to her… and then come the next chapter, Uraraka apparently hasn’t done anything regarding her supposed crush on Midoriya? For literal YEARS!?

…see, this isn’t even a shipping problem anymore. This is a character problem.

Horikoshi, for whatever reason, chose not to include a romance for the main character and his supposed love interest. And again, that’s fine, not every story needs to be a romance. Two problems with it here though (well, one problem and an observation):

1) Choosing to not at least address the romantic subplot with a “I think we’re better off as friends” encounter, thus actually concluding the subplot and providing a sense of closure, not only leaves the result feeling underwhelming and frustrating, but also actively damages Uraraka’s character arc. We can have her address the problem that caused people like Toga to exist, but heaven forbid she talks about romance with Midoriya.

2) Despite his supposed aversion to romance, Horikoshi still went out of his way to give Gentle and La Brava wedding rings… he’s willing to establish a side romantic pairing without bringing too much attention to it, but he can’t be bothered to do something similar for the arguable MAIN pairing? It’s the “Togata has special clothes so he doesn’t end up buck naked, but Hagakure’s still gotta go commando” debacle again…

I’ma go ahead and wrap this up ‘cause I don’t wanna keep y’all much longer, but like… being optimistic, this ending was… functional. I’ve got my problems with it, obviously, I don’t think it was BAD bad… but it certainly wasn’t good. It works. Barely. And it’s ‘cause of stuff like this.

Midoriya and Uraraka didn’t need to end up together, truly. All Horikoshi had to do was put the smallest amount of effort and give us something of substance, something with closure. Instead, we got what we got.

I get that he was exhausted and wanted the manga to be over… but that excuse only holds up for so long.