#i usually dont like saving the world narratives

[quinnsanestuff]

i do like that the warden basically saves a world they wont get to see

[hanakou-often]

I just happened to stumble upon your blog.. and I never really thought about HanaKou before, but these posts are very compelling. I love seeing other people’s ships in things and would love to be convinced into them.. heh. I’ve sort of fallen out of tbhk recently because the most recent arc hasn’t been compelling to me PARTLY BECAYSE KOU AND NENE AND HANAKO DONT KNOW EACH OTHWR?!?!? Which is really depressing, because I like them a lot. Ermm idk where I’m going with this I just was scrolling through the blog like “heh.. they’re cute I want to know more..” and now here I am. Please excuse my nonsense blabber idek if this makes sense 😔

Oh boy. Despite Hanakou being my hyperfixation for around 3 years, I still don't feel equipped to salesman my way into convincing someone 😭 most of my love for them has just come from PURE brainrot so I'll try my best to actually formulate more logical reasons why I like this sinking ship as much as I do. Long ass spoiler-filled rant incoming!!

1. Narrative Foils

A narrative foil is a character that contrasts another character, often the protagonist, to highlight certain aspects of their characters. Think Kabru and Laios from Dungeon Meshi, Sayaka and Kyoko from Madoka Magica, Draco and Harry from Harry Potter, etc.

To begin, Kou is a 'weak,' naive exorcist who always fights for justice and to protect the people he loves out of his own volition. Since he is the underdog of his family clan, the mediocre middle child next to his eldest exorcist extraordinaire brother, Kou is willing to do anything to prove his worth. This is primarily exhibited by his first meeting with Hanako as he recklessly plunges into a battle with the most powerful ghost in Kagome despite his inexperience with his weapon. When he's confronted about such, Kou states, "I don't care what happens to me as long as I can protect everyone!" and if that doesn't sum up his ideology, I don't know what does. He is shown to be the type of person to put everyone's safety, happiness and livelihood above his own, ultimately leading his selflessness to be his own detriment.

Contrarily, Hanako is a strong, knowledgable apparition who is given the role to protect students of Kamome, regardless of his detachment from the student body, as a way of atonement. As the long standing executive leader of the seven mysteries, Hanako has grown largely apathetic towards everyone, easily taking the cold, calculated and unconventional routes to reach the outcome he deems best no matter who it would hurt in the process. This is exemplified many times in the manga but to pick a lighter one: The time Hanako confessed to Nene under the kodama tree without telling her before hand that it wasn't real, leading him to hurt her feelings. It's clear that Hanako is the type of person to value his own goals and interests above everyone else's input, making him the more selfish antithesis to Kou's "selflessness."

Their differences in philosophy are really striking at times. Kou is endlessly optimistic while Hanako is more pessimistic, seeing the grimmer aspects of reality that Kou usually neglects. For example, Nene's lifespan has been a divisive topic between them for a while. Hanako had known about it from the start, originally intending to keep the poor girl in ignorant bliss for how much time she had left. At the point of the reveal in the clock keeper arc, he had no plans on trying to change her fate, solemnly stating that "there are things in this world that must not be changed...It's better for Yashiro this way." This is a direct contrast to Kou's more 'human' perspective as he immediately protests Hanako's claim of "There is nothing you can do," passionately asserting that he won't give up, he'll do whatever it takes save her and that is final. In the face of a dark reality, Kou completely rejects it, choosing to believe there's hope, like the naive son of a gun Hanako knows he is. From personal experience, Hanako knows it's stupid, it's idiotic, it's downright suicidal to go up against fate but somehow he ends up hoping Kou is right, trailing "I'm counting on you" as they settle back into a world that will never be the same after this revelation between them. (Something something Their differences are key to propelling the plot forward since Kou is the one to inspire Hanako not to just let Nene's life go by!!)

All of this is not to say they don't have anything in common. In fact, they are united by their desire to save the people they care about, grounded in their ruthless determination to see out their goals and are self sacrificing to an extent. I would love to go deeper on this topic but I'm afraid my brain is already starting to fry lol. In short, their differences are what make them interesting as a duo!! Each of their qualities can compliment the other's contrasting attributes and as people say, opposites attract!!!

2. Pivotal Roles in each other's Narrative

Hanakou are very important to each other's story since they are a key player in both their humble beginnings and tragic ends. Respectively, they are each other's gateway to a new life. Much like Nene, Kou is a symbol of hope for Hanako, his spunky attitude and determined nature igniting a humanitarian spark that Hanako lacked in the sixty years he lingered Kamome. For Kou, Hanako is the first apparition he meets, the one that sets off his rocky journey with navigating the world of supernaturals as a lackluster exorcist, and the second person to fuel his fire by believing in him. Specifically, Hanako tells Kou he looks forward to the day he can expel him with ease, a statement that foreshadows their distant future. In order to complete their whole character arcs (Hanako going from stubbornly clinging to the near shore to repent to accepting he's done every to atone and ready to pass on; Kou starting off weak and naive then ending as a stronger exorcist capable of understanding both the supernatural world and humanity) they'll have to do exactly what Hanako anticipated: Exorcise him once and for all. This aspect of their relationship is something intricately intertwined with their fates and while AidaIro may have forgotten about it, I can only hope they'll deliver so that they can bring their narratives full circle.

Now in the context of a romantic relationship, there are some absolutely soul crushing implications here. The hands Hanako loves to admire, intertwine his fingers with and adore are the same ones that will ultimately be his demise. Kou is Hanako's deathbed. That’s what they’ve known all along. It’s something that looms over their heads with a lingering heaviness neither boy wants address: Kou wanting to silently avoid his crushing responsibility while Hanako is just trying to savor whatever time he has with Kou. It's doomed just like everything else in TBHK <3

3. Young Exorcist arc

This one goes hand and hand with the second point but I felt that this needed to be discussed on its own since it's where many Hanakouers (ME) really took interest in their relationship. The arc begins with Kou being pulled aside by Teru, the two having a conversation about how Kou was supposed to immediately exorcise any seven mysteries he encounters. When Kou fumbles around him, insisting that he can't find it in himself to see Hanako as a bad supernatural, Teru is quick to remind him that "There is no such thing as a 'good supernatural'" and promptly takes him off the case. He was going to take matters into his own hands but the moment Kou looks at him with pleading eyes, Teru decides to give him more time to carry the duty out.

This is where Kou sets off to find Hanako, get some irrefutable proof that he's not evil like the generalization Teru makes. The effort he puts here into defending Hanako is absolutely adorable, if not a testament to their potential then a testament to Kou's sweet character. The suspicion he's built as he spies on Hanako who saunters around with a sack of stolen items is broken once the ghost explains that he's gathering them to return to their rightful owners. As stated previously, Hanako’s noble deeds are done more as a way to atone rather than out of his own good will so to see that he went out of his way to return stolen items to students, one of which being Kou’s safety earring, without being obligated to do so is great evidence to support Kou's idea that supernaturals can be good. Given this, Kou decides right then and there that he won’t exorcise Hanako after all. Now, Hanako here could have reveled in this decision, his kind act successfully manipulating Kou into compliance with his schemes, but instead, Hanako shows him exactly why he shouldn’t give up.

He cares for the kid. He does. Which is why he has to show how wrong he can be. It’s a downright dangerous thought because it lures Kou into a false sense of security that all supernaturals can be “good” like Hanako.

Cue Teru's dramatic entrance where he immediately apprehends the offending apparition and tries to execute him (for good reason). Blah blah blah Teru is condescending towards Kou because he made the wrong call again, something something Kou is trapped in Teru's bead bracelet and question his view of Hanako once more. For a moment, Kou almost gives into despair, letting Teru exorcise him without another word. After all, what does Kou know about the supernatural world? He's a weak link to Teru's infinite knowledge, power and experience. Maybe he should just let him do what he deems best.

However, as Hanako objects to his sentencing, screaming that “death would only be a release” and he still has so much to do here, it reminds Kou that Hanako is here for a reason. Sure, he’s an apparition, something that’s synonymous with evil, but all that time they spent together has to mean something, right? Hanako indulges Nene and Kou, joking around, Hanako has indulged Kou when no one else believed in him, he's saved them when he easily could’ve left them to their own devices. That definitely means something. Suddenly, Kou breaks free from the beaded prison, charges in the middle of the battle field and grips Teru's blade with an iron fist, all to save Hanako.

Just look at that. Kou slit his own palm trying to protect Hanako, someone he vowed to erase just weeks ago, because he's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He defies his brother, someone he highly admired for the past fourteen years of his life, for Hanako’s sake. Kou’s change in attitude towards his exorcist duties is largely attributed to Hanako. The sole notion of Hanako, the not so evil supernatural, has turned Kou’s world completely upside down.

I'll never forgive the anime for omitting this arc, not only because it excludes a pivotal moment in their relationship but also because it deprived an enriching detail to their development!!! Oh my god. Kou finally stands up for himself and owns up to his naivety. He knows he’s stupid for jumping from one extreme conclusion to the other before he has fully understood everything Hanako has to offer but he can no longer side with Teru’s one note view of him or supernaturals in general, lest more decent apparitions be erased without cause. He brings a level of nuance to the function that Teru does not appreciate!! When Kou decides to vouch for Hanako, undertaking the massive responsibility to watch over him all on his own, it shows a lot of growth in his maturity and his perspective of the ghost.

So yeah. A lot to say about the young exorcist arc. Not only has it deeply impacted the Minamoto brothers relationship, but it has brought a significant change within Kou’s mindset. He’s no longer trying to label Hanako as a definitive good or bad but trying to deepen his understanding of him and decide what to do from there. As for Hanako, he seems to respect Kou more now, giving credit where credit is due, and feels as though their bond is strengthened by the vulnerable state they saw each other in. He even acknowledges this in the first chapter of ASHK when Teru comes in to “help clean" by immediately taking cover behind Kou and questioning the commitment he made to keep Teru at bay. It's also weirdly sweet to see Hanako taking cover behind Kou here!! It really goes to show how much trust they've built for each other and how safe Hanako feels around the exorcist C:

To sum it all up, the young exorcist arc was an important part of showing how Hanakou work together and cement how their views of humanity/supernatural world are shifting because of each other!! I didn't get to talk about it too much but they also have a bunch of cute moments here which sorta feeds to the next point.

4. Classic Bromance to Romance

A bromance is defined as a quote en quote "close, friendly but non-sexual relationship between two men" and that's more or less what Hanakou brings to the table!!! First and foremost, they are complete opposites in a lot of their personality traits which makes it fun to see how they interact. Hanako's pervyness to Kou's disciplined innocence, Hanako's mischief to Kou's gullibility, Hanako's love of teasing to Kou's fiery denials, it's all just so entertaining to watch!!! They bounce off each other sorta like a coke and mentos relationship where on their own, they're absolutely fine but when they're together BOOM explosions, dumb arguments, rough housing 24/7, etc, etc. Just take a look at the shenanigans they get up to in this panel.

How? Just how did they get here? They used to be enemies, they're still supposed to be enemies but here they are, a hopeful descendent of a powerful exorcist clan and an executive leader of a important supernatural group, just play fighting with a mop and broom like they're no better than two clumsy best friends goofing off on their free time. I love their little bromance so much because it's the result of their growth during the many adventures they've had together. URUGHH After they've been through, it's deeply endearing to realize that they really are just boys being boys at their core!! C:

Now moving onto the romance part, I want to preface this with how I do believe men should be allowed to have intimate platonic relationships with each other without having to get accused of being gay but alas, I fear Hanakou's closeness as friends can easily pave the way for something more as they blur the line between friendly and flirty banter.

It's already been established that Hanako feels safe enough to be his usual self around the exorcist, knowing that no matter how mischievous, touchy and downright despicable Hanako can be, Kou won't ever hurt him. It's a sweet sort of trust that can be explored further with some typical bromance shenanigans, IE Hanako gets bored and decides to test Kou's boundaries just for the hell of it. At first, it's only joke flirting and some harmless teasing here and there. Maybe a lingering touch or two (only to push some buttons of course). Most of the time, Hanako finds this endeavor to be deeply rewarding since Kou reacts in a way that Nene doesn’t, his responses leaning into his more physical, boyish volatility as he either bashfully pushes Hanako away, chases him off or just straight up punches him in the arm, visibly flustered. The reactiveness encourages Hanako to keep upping the ante to the point where it's more unusual for him not to mess with Kou. It's grown into a bad habit of his: snaking his arms around Kou's shoulders, fiddling with his fingers with reverent fascination, sneaking glances at the boy and making funny faces in the hopes he'll look back and laugh, etc, etc. As Kou gets used to Hanako's antics overtime, his extreme reactions gradually diminish and it's becoming increasingly clearer that Hanako isn't (wasn't?) just doing it because "he's bored" anymore. No, it's something worse. With a sinking clarity, Hanako realizes boredom isn't the driving reason for being around Kou anymore, it's fondness of the cute (flustered) expressions he makes, it's the giddiness that swells in his chest when Hanako manages to make him smile, the electricity that floods his system when Kou flirts back, it's...something else he does not want to dissect. And so, Hanako will bury this revelation under the belief it's due to his unfamiliarity of friendship. Fifty years of isolation has to do a number to your perception of romance vs friendship, right???

Meanwhile, Kou is committed to the promise he made in the young exorcist arc so he's usually admiring from afar watching over Hanako to make sure he's in line and keeping an eye on Hanako isn't hard as of late; they're spending more time together before, during and after school and as much as he doesn't want to admit it, he genuinely enjoys the company. Kou likes what they have, it's good that they can rely on each other and still leave room to joke around but to be honest, Kou has some...weird feelings towards Hanako. Every time their eyes meet his heart skips a beat, whenever he lets his mind wander it usually finds its way back to Hanako, their friendly banter stuck in his head, and for whatever reason, Kou's body can't seem to forget the ghost's touch, even long after he's fucked off to who knows where. There's something different about it. It's not the detestation he had when he first met Hanako, nor is it the quaint glee he had when he decided to not exorcise him. It's something completely new, something foreign that has his stomach doing flips every time he sees Hanako's bright smile or hears his stupid laugh. Kou tries not to think about it too much, lest he gives Hanako exactly what he wants, so he just chalks it up to his view of supernaturals being challenged. After all, going from believing all supernaturals are dangerous, evil vermin that need to be exterminated to voluntarily hanging out with such a friendly one is bound to stir up some mixed feelings, right?

Do you see my vision now? The bromance to romance pipeline would be unreal with these two confused idiots!! There's so much room for the internalized homophobia, the confusion of trying to differentiate friendly feelings from the clusterfuck of emotions the other boy evokes and the funny fumblings of two teenage boys letting the joke flirting go a bit too far like a game of gay chicken gone wrong. Their relationship speaks to me in a way that can only be described as the entertainment you get from mixing two reactive substances and waiting for the inevitable chaos that proceeds. Even if you don't ship Hanakou romantically, you gotta admit their dynamic is super fun to explore!! C:

5. Other characters reactions

I swear I’m taking this somewhat seriously but I really enjoy the more wholesome aspects of this ship!! Nene being the third wheel to her two guy best friends, the LEAST romantic people she knows, is something that is deeply entertaining to me <3 She came into Hanako's life wishing for a boyfriend, failed to get one and then had to watch him get one himself. She would be so happy for them but at the same time, she'd be fighting demons trying to figure out how these two IDIOTS got more rizz than she does. (How much aura do you lose for this LMAOOOO)

Then you got Teru which if you liked this aspect of Mitsukou where Teru disapproves of his brother dating a school mystery then hooo boy YOU’LL LOVE HANAKOU!! Whatever apprehension he has towards Mitsukou it's increased tenfold because it’s one thing to date a school mystery, it’s a whole other thing to date not only the ghost of a murder but the LEADER of the seven mysteries??? Teru would absolutely flip his shit, wasting no time to charge into Hanako’s bathroom and expel him right then and there the SECOND he finds out (AND I DON'T BLAME HIM!! he just doing his job fr). I’ve been told it’s sorta like a Romeo and Juliet situation where two star crossed lovers are kept apart by a long-standing feud between their opposing houses (Montagues and Capulets WHO? I only know the Minamoto clan and Seven Mysteries) and I think that can just about sum it up!!

6. Hanako-San (ASHK)

This post is already as long as it is so I’ll save you the trouble of attempting an analysis and copy and paste my ramble from another post: “In regards to HanaKou discourse, I've always seen people say 'Kou's into Mitsuba!!' or 'they're just platonic besties! Plus Kou rejected Hanako!!!' and sure, maybe Kou doesn't have a thing for Hanako but has anyone REALLY stopped to consider Hanako has a thing for Kou??? And just. Didn't process it because of internalized homophobia AND his crush on Nene overshadowing his feelings for Kou??? Because THIS chapter had NO RIGHT to be so fruity on Hanako's part” and yeah why is the first thing Hanako decides to do when he turns into a girl is flirt with Kou??? And an even better question is why did he genuinely sulk when Kou rejected him??? If you didn't mean it why were you so butt hurt then huh??? Hanako really is the type of guy to passively think "if Kou was a girl or if I was a girl, I'd date him 100%" and it definitely shows!!!

7. Fanfiction. So. Much. Fanfiction.

This one doesn't have much to do with canon but it's more than likely why some people (ME) began to ship Hanakou!! My personal experience was I thought they were sorta interesting and I checked on ao3 to see if there were any others who thought the same. To my surprise, there were a bunch of fics lovingly written for them already and out of curiosity I started reading one. One became two, two became three, then suddenly I was tumbling down the rabbit hole feverishly consuming whatever I could get my grubby little hands on. As you've stated, seeing others' passion can be pretty compelling reason to start shipping something and I totally agree!!! Exploring the dynamics in such a freeing medium like Fanfiction can be much more invigorating than just reinterpreting canon so do give it a try if you're interested!! I promise Hanakou nation is a welcoming space and we'd be delighted to see more people on board with these two idiots C:

END

AUGHHHH I struggled to find the right words to express my thoughts but I hope it gave you a better understanding of Hanakou!! These two really are my Roman Empire and despite how much I floundered around this post, I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity to share my visions!!! Thank you so much for asking C:

[butchniqabi]

What are your favourite aspects of sci fi? Themes, tropes, specific stories, anything that comes to mind

i love so much about scifi,,,the unique and creative ways people talk about present day problems and institutions, the way people envision futures. i love dystopias i love utopias i love it saur much! as for specific stories, i (unfortunately) really like harlan ellison and ray bradbury (fun fact, my grandma's friend used to drive him around because he hated it himself) also octavia butler despite our adversarial relationship and ursula k le guin, i hate hg wells, philip k dick (previously mentioned friend was his girlfriend for a time), and adolus huxley. i think i spelled his name wrong but i dont care to check the proper spelling. i love holistic critiques, i love when critiques take into account intersectionality and how things like race, gender, ability, and class all interact with one another. less "this white man experiences subjugation despite all odds, isnt that crazy?" those narratives are usually written by white men and i really do not give a fuck anymore. i think a lot of Iconic Sci Fi is just...uninspired and/or ruined by its own limited perspective. sci fi i love involves involved world building that doesnt feel the need to overexplain and kind of throws you into the experience.

some random sci fi media i enjoy: altered carbon, another life, the southern reach trilogy (stan annihilation!), event horizon, the left hand of darkness, vaster than empires and more slow, the ones who walk away from omelas (basically a lot of ursula k le guin...), the veldt, the episode "far beyond the stars" from deep space nine, the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy, the spacesuit, moon, -all you zombies-, no one will save you, the girl with all the gifts, special dreams in which you exist, the thing, kindred, and how long til black future month

did you know while i was refreshing my memory and looking up sci fi books, google labeled th white's the once and future king as sci fi? thats so real.

[yellowocaballero]

i dont know if this something you put a lot of thought into but it seems like you might and im curious so, what are some of your favorite themes to write about/the themes that interest you in writing or media?

Oh wow, good question. I put both a lot of thought and very little into the themes of my work. I always sit down and decide what I'm saying, and the meaning of the story, but some things always emerge in the writing. I usually discover what a story is actually about as I'm writing it. It's usually only after I finish the work that I realize what themes I had put in there, which seems like it should be bad. I think this means that a lot of my themes come through subconsciously. They're typically just...things I think about a lot.

I think the one thing I keep on coming back to is *tumblr voice* the mortifying ordeal of being known. That entire article, including the image of walking down a hundred stories of hell before reaching heaven, reconfigured my brain. It's just so damn hard to exist in a world with other people in it. There's an inevitability to hurting each other, but the love's worth it. Playing The World Ends With You at a vulnerable age primed me for obsession with this. That one quote from The Little Prince, ya know.

Generational trauma, cycles of trauma and abuse, and the long-term impact of trauma comes up a lot for me too. How being fucked up makes you fuck up others, the long-term consequences of being fucked up, the coping mechanisms we develop as a result. The ugly side of trauma and mental illness, the way we lash out and hurt people. I talk about escapism a lot, and the impact that has on you and the people around you long-term. This is usually exemplified through amnesia plotlines. This is a deep cut, but the Warchild series by Karin Lowachee had the best take on this I've read in a book.

Non-traditional love. I end up writing a lot of sibling dynamics, but I like creating unnamable and undefinable relationships. A lot of things I write just become very aro and asexual narratives. Love that saves. Love that isn't enough, but it still matters. The other side of love, which is grief.

I could go on. Forgiving yourself. Struggling to determine how to be a good person. How your identity & the intersections of your identity affect who you are. Power and power dynamics. A LOT of man vs self stories, like a lot a lot (I'm not overly interested by villains). The experience of being mentally ill and navigating the world as a mentally ill and/or disabled person. The differences between navigating the world as a man or a woman. I write a lot, so a lot of stuff tends to come up, lol. Roleswaps - fucking, somehow, for some reason, WHY, WHY DO I WRITE SO MUCH OF THEM -

Thanks for the ask, I had to do some self-reflection to answer it! I never really realize I'm writing about these things until I am, again. They're just all part of my framework of how I understand the world. Everybody has those, but when you're a writer it's easier to pull them out and microscope them.

[lady-of-the-puddle]

All right I've been holding this back for a while but now you get to see my

Rating Tron's Exes

list

The boy:

See? him face

And now the exes:

FIRST UP WE HAVE

1. Dyson

Bougie Rat Bastard 3000

Is the Worst™

Absolute dork loser

Made a grab for power and betrayed his brother his captain hiS KING

Not even hot

2/10 Sucks like the vacuum he is

2. Clu

Discount fuck boi god wannabe

Okay listen

There's chemistry between them

Even if it's toxic af

He's part of Kevin of course he and Tron dated

Yes it was full of hate

Esp when he was stuck as Rinzler 😏

But sometimes u gotta date an asshole to know what u dont want

0/10 Actual Nazi

3. Able

Daddy? Sorry

FATHER material

Has stable job and income

Firm but kind and caring

Will tell u to stfu

Divorce was mutual and they got split custody of Beck so pretty chill breakup overall

10/10 Need I say more

4. Cyrus

Boundaries Were Crossed

Yet another betrayal *sigh*

My boi Tron knows how to pic em

Somehow more crazy than Clu

But less Nazi at least???

Spectacular revenge plot tbh

Looks pretty sick 😎

World's Messiest Breakup

5/10 Dedicated to the bit

4.1 Beck

CRACK SHIP I SWEAR

I know y'all are about to come for me

But listen

Programs have no concept of age

This ship is purely for fun for me, I highly ship them as father and son usually (see: Able)

Something about the desperation and trust issues between them speak to me

We all know it would never work out

7/10 doomed by the narrative (if we HAD ANY)

5. Flynnster

fuck boi God SUPREME

I am highly biased on this

loves Tron so much he ported him from the old system

Spent more time with him than with his own son (-1 point for that)

named everything after him

Tron was ready to give up his own life to save him

ANGST

never officially broke up but he thought he was derezzed so that counts

9/10 HERE WE STAND WORLDS APART HEARTS BROKEN IN T- ok I'll stop

6. Ram

Cinnamon Roll too pure yadda yadda

Wide eyed sweetheart

Never did anything wrong in his short cycle

Was in a brief polycule with Tron and Flynn

Only broke up because he derezzed

What's not to like

11/10 perfect angle

7. Yori

HER

Unpopular opinion y'all are about to murder me

They were each other's beards

She's a nerd lesbian

Because she's hot and I want a chance with her I want her to be

They simply realized they preferred other programs and amicably broke up

She calls him up from the first system every now and then and they spill some hot tea and rebellion tips

100/10 bc im in love with her here have another pic

Anyone I missed?

In conclusion, all users and programs desire Tron carnally, grid's biggest slut, he's in nothing and is my everything thank you for coming to my TRON Talk next time I'll rate Beck's exes cause that's been overcooking in my brain too

[rarepairronpa]

What do you think about the selfcest ship Junko x Ryouko? There's so little of this ship in the fandom I'm starving over here TT

I have a lot of thoughts about Ryouko and Junko in general! I don't know if I'd say I ship them, but I do have a lot of thoughts about them.

Imo, Ryouko isn't exactly a separate person. She's just who Junko would be without her memories. Which makes her a facinating look at Junko. Ryouko straight up rejects despair. Ryouko refuses to kill even to save Yasuke. Ryouko quite literally proves Junko's world view, of despair being inevitable, wrong. Her philosophy doesn't even work applied to her! What Ryouko says about Junko- about who she is as a person and what made her that way- that's facinating.

I've seen people characterize Ryouko as some false personality Yasuke implanted. And I can only assume they didn't read the novel, because Ryouko is literally just Junko without her memories.

Now, there's an argument to be had that she's an alter. In the novel, Junko surfaces at different moments. You could take those moments as Junko temporarily regaining her memories, but they also just read as two alters switching. (I just dont agree that shes a false personality Yasuke implanted and Junko overcame. If she is an alter, that's too simple a narrative for me.) There's a few options for how these alters came to be- whether Ryouko or Junko is the host, they could have been formed from a traumatic experience from their past, only really surfacing now. Or they could have formed from the memory erasure, since we don't know how such technology would actually effect the mind (since it's not real). It could have completely unheard of side effects like that, especially since it was a beta version used on Ryouko and it was used over a prolonged period of time. That's... not typically how alters are formed, as they're usually a extreme extension of dissociation that happens due to childhood trauma (usually repeated) from before you are ten. But, hey, this is Danganronpa. It's not really accurate to real life anyway.

Now, the thing about interpreting Ryouko and Junko as a system, is that it lends itself into the evil DID system trope. Which if not handled very carefully, isn't.... great. The thing that separates this from the trope is that it's likely Ryouko is the alter, not Junko, so at least the evil alter trope would be subverted. I'd also argue that Junko is a much more complex character than the word "evil" can encapsulate, and Ryouko herself is a lot more complex than "good Junko". Ryouko is morally grey, with good leanings, imo. Which is a lot better than Junko, sure, but still not as simple as just being "good Junko". So already, a lot more complex than the stereotype, but still leans a bit too much towards the trope for comfort.

But there is something enthralling about pairing Ryouko and Junko up to bounce off of each other. The ways in which they mirror and contradict each other are facinating to explore. To pin against each other. I've done it, myself. They're both very complicated girls, no matter how you interpret them.

Ryouko and Junko are, at least partially, extensions of each other. They're a part of each other. That's... basically what a soulmate is, right? It's no surprise to me that people find it romantic. Heck, I find it romantic! That's half the reason I was so enthralled with Chara and Frisk from Undertale back in the day. I would say I'm surprised there's not more content about them, but- well, Danganronpa 0 is something people skip regardless. I think that'd definitely play a role in how little content there is.

Overall I do wish there was more alter/alter content in fiction in general. Both in fandom and in source/canon - not specifically just for Danganronpa, but also just... in general. Frisk and Chara are the biggest I've seen, and they're not even technically alters; just a ghost sharing Frisks body (and some people don't even interpret them as that, either). I've also seen John/Mikoto from Milgram, and Izuru/Hajime is - while still a rarepair - a moderately popular rare pair. Of the three, John/Mikoto is the only properly confirmed DID system; for Izuru and Hajime, it's very possible that Izuru, just like Ryouko, is just Hajime without his memories (and a bunch of talent stuffed into him). Alter/alter pairings aren't that popular in mainstream fandom, which kinda sucks to see. I would love to see more of that stuff! Honestly, I would love to see more alter interactions/interpersonal relationships in general. Most media just focus on how ~scary~ it would be to have an alter, and doesn't treat the alters with any sort of respect. Sucks to see how little variety there is, honestly.

[rottingraisins]

what’s your favourite scp article?? or a few, if you have such

HELLO PUT TOGETHER A FUCKING. NO PARTICULAR ORDER TOP 15 sorry theres just so many of them.

SCP-3515 “Unearth”

Did you also have that one really specific childhood fear of falling asleep and waking up buried alive?? Yeah??? Then this one is so fucking scary! Its usually the one I recommend to people just looking for a good standalone horror story. Also love the odd sort of sense of nostalgia permeating the piece.

SCP-1958 “Starmobile”

This one really gets to me and i dont know why, sometimes I’ll just sit on the train to uni and think about it. The stars are so fucking beautiful out here man…

SCP-2006 “Too Spooky”

Hehehe I love the ones where the actual gimmicks in the containment procedures and this ones my fav one 4ever its so silly

SCP-5733 “Return of the Suburb Slasher”

This one is kind of hammy and melodramatic down to the twist ending that doesnt make any sense but its supposed to be a hommage to like 80s popcorn slasher flicks and it fits that sort of tone wonderfully, not every scp needs to take itself seriously I think. Also love how crazy the experiment logs get they straight up just teach her magic

SCP-3999 “I Am At The Center Of Everything That Happens To Me”

TALLORAN my friend Talloran… This one hits a lot harder if you’ve read a few other SCPs and especially if youve gotten somewhat entrenched in the community so if you read this one fairly early on and didn’t feel like you really got it I implore you to give it a reread. Normie pick but probably my favorite piece among all these if I had to pick just one it is that good

SCP-4205 “In The Eyes Of The Beholder”

To be fair its been a while since I read this one but I remember it making me really emotional the first time around, scps that are about like tragic little stories happening to people exposed to them are always gonna hit me harder than the most clever out there of concepts tbh

SCP-5320 “The People's Church Of The Fish That Just Goes On Forever “

THIS ONES LIKE THAT A BIT ALSO though its not tragic and more silly but so profoundly human. raddagher in general is rlly good at like. Immersing you in the workplace culture of a setting as inherently bizarre as the foundation and im such a sucker for it

SCP-166 “Just a Teenage Gaea”

LISTEN. LISTEN I wasn’t gonna put any scps on here just bc I like the characters attached to it but meri BARELY appears in anything else than her file tbh and also its a good fucking rewrite I absolutely love all the implied lore about the goc and procedure clockwork blackchild havilah and how they leaned more into the estranged familial relationship between her and clef which was always the emotional core of the piece to me

SCP-0166 “I Was A Teenage Succubus”

The other really good 166 rewrite. Manages to very thoroughly deconstruct the original piece and everything that was wrong with it without being weird abt it and even gets a little meta! I love one (1) tuberculosisgirl yes you should GET to feel righteous anger at how the narrative has treated you!!

SCP-2721 ”Eli and Lyris”

...I used to have really bad internalized cringe @ myself and my dumb fandom shit when I was younger so theres something very very sweet to me about homestuckposting saving the world. Also love the implicit character development in Eli going on to become bones gaw. Whenever its in anything I’m like. Points at it

SCP-2508 “The Long Wait”

Listen I don’t know what’s really going on in this one either but the tone and concept of it never quite let me go

SCP-3001 “Red Reality”

Robert :(

SCP-2000 “Deus Ex Machina”

WHO KNEW A FUCKING THAUMIEL COULD HIDE ONE OF THE WIKIS MOST DEVASTATING COSMIC HORROR CONCEPTS HUH. In a lot of ways feels like a thematic predecessor to yesterday and resurrection as a whole which. I dont know if youve noticed but im not normal about that canon whatsoever. Also shoutout to clef for making a cameo as a decomposing mummy you go girl!!!

SCP-3309 “Where We Go When We Fade, Fade Away “

Leans really heavily on its meta twist but its really a very clever idea to be fair and the emotional writing hits just hard enough to make this another one i like. Sit and think about sometimes

SCP-3002 “Attempt To Assasinate Thought”

Kind of long and all over the place but it somewhat needs to be to keep you from figuring out whats really going on until the end. YES OK this gets bonus points for the author having revealed on reddit that this is an au version of iris/scp-105 on her posthumous final revenge campaign against the foundation which adds another layer of emotional depth to it that it probably wouldnt have made it on here without but its my list. I can do what I want

[silentstaresfanficandfanart]

what fueled you to write that fast?

I would need that help too

endless love ENDLESS LOVE FOREVER AND EVER

that is tos ay i write what i love and i love what i write and i try my very best to enjoy the process and have fun

do it often and youll get faster

have a rough plan in place or even an outline if you can

and you know that rush you get when you imagine your characters doing stuff in an amv or when you chat about them with a friend? you gotta jump into thew riting while thats still buzzing if you can!

plus it helps to have lovely pepole to encourage you, while its also VERY important to make srue not to prioritize ao3 comments or peoples attention over your enjoyment, as long as you can take that part in without working FOR attention and love you'll do great.

think of it like, Wataru

Wataru is doing his acts and all his amazing things for praise

as lovely as wataru is , hes very very sad and he's just trying to be loved <3 so even if he does an amzing job at everything he does, he's not happy unless someone else enjoys what he does! and that can trap you in trying too hard to gain others aprooval and forgetting what you yourself do!

another thing is challenging yourself, if you doubt yourself doing something big and scary like nanowrimo or actually completing an entire book can make the big scary thing not so bad. The important thing there to remember is that anything that can bleed, can die. That is to say, if you can 'cause damage' to somethings hp bar, you can defeat it as long as you keep attacking it! eventually it will fall.

you can write an entire book just fine, if you just keep writing it.

But you gotta give yourself an hp bar for the thing or it can feel overwhelming. personally i go with a "ask a question, answer it, and ask another question" style usually when im writing

usually i would say a good chapter length is about 5,000 words max, and then writing out an outline

for example

Eichi feels ill, why is eichi unwell?

reveal: Eichi is turning into a horrrible magical monster and keito has to become a magical boy to save him

resolution: keito becomes a magical boy and saves eichi!

question: what's going on and how is keito going to save the world from these aliens

(in this case the question kind of sets up the overarching primary plot point- having at least one can help a lot in storytelling but theres so many different ways to tell stories. i like personally really like the 'no conflict narrative' that some japanese stories have, not that they really lack a conflict but its great for slice of life things and can kind of be stretched a lot of ways i think its called Kishotenketsu

but you know, find a method that works for you but the most important rule for writing a lot fast, is to just have fun and be self indulgent, the hardest thing to do when it comes to writing a lot, is make yourself write at all after all, as long as you actually are writing something you REALLY enjoy and like writing, you'll want to keep writing. stay true and honest to yourself and if you hae ONE big scene in mind you freaking LOVE and dont erally want to write the rest you are tottaly allowed to do that. The difference between talent and skill is often passion.

Oh and NEVER. EVER. INSULT YOUR WRITING.

DONT BE HARSH. DONT BE CRUEL.

AND DONT JUDGE YOUR WRITING UNFAIRLY, INF ACT, TRY NOT TO JUDGE IT AT ALL ,JUST ENJOY IT. SURE ITS OKAY TO STUDY AND SEE WHERE YOU COULD IMPROVE AND GROW, BUT DO THAT BECAUSE YOU ENJOY WRITING AND WANT TO WRITE BETTER NOT BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU'RE BAD do it because you love writing and you want to love it even more and show it how much you love it by getting better <3 compliment yourself and your creative projects often

tldr: Do what you enjoy, never insult yourself, and remember to not push yourself to conform to others expectations and praise, but do praise yourself lots and lots <3 source: a lovely writer who enjoys it very much and can truly say they love writing

personally i got stuck in a huge rut by the way a few years back when my mom told me she struggled to get into my writing because i never finished anything and it took me a long time to finally work past that though she never meant anything harsh by it. It took facing nanowrimo to suddenly kick my love of writing back into gear. completing and sucessfully writing an entire actual book proved to me i could.

also on that note one more tip

writing an entire book actually isint that big a deal, its super exciting sure! you should celebrate it! but it's something we put on a pedestal which makes it seem superhuman to complete, but...it's really not. now ive written several books since nanowrimo last year, and you can really see just looking at my fanfictions how heavily beating that helped me. writing is FUN

writing can BE fun

the biggest thing ive ever seen stop writers is fear, shame, and doubt. Same with artists, or anyone else with any skills. love, love , love~ <3

just keep writing, keep loving it, and you'll find that even if you only write a little a day, youll eventually get your goals done <3 any mountain is climbable with patience time and love!

[screamting]

Spiderverse actually being very planned and clever and not afraid of the fact that if you're paying attention you can see where they're going my beloved.

Also, Hobie.

Not just Hobie being demonstrably & actionably punk in a way that is usually just reserved to aesthetic trappings and anger issues but that very characterization being directly plot relevant in exactly that planned/clever if-you're-paying-attention (and even if you're not you can go Oh™ in retrospect) way.

I didn't "see it coming" necessarily but it's not a plot twist as much as a Pleasant Surprise since lbr his characterization is a straight line. It wasn't a reversal or a twist it was a "bruh you should've literally listened to what he was saying" deal. Which. To be fair, I couldn't understand a god damn word Hobie said until we were well within Miguel range. Like, not to stereotype. Couldn't understand a god damn word until I could see the lips on an ANIMATED CHARACTER that's not how that's supposed to work

(Tho i think miles and I both had the same "oh" when he took the mask off and saw he was def too old for Gwen and this was definitely a parental friend instead of "competition" lmao)

I'm just stuck on like. How fast this "organization" got together. into the spiderverse repeatedly has them saying they thought they were completely alone. The revelation of other spider folk was brand new and relieving. So I AM mad about how long they went without contacting Miles when everyone else from the first movie is recruited despite "weh weh you know why [I dont want to recruit them]" going on.

Anyway. Can't wait for the 3rd spiderverse plot twist to be that this org is like 6 months old and is an elaborate ploy for control of the multiverse by keeping everyone emotionally crippled (see: gwen saved her dad already in spiderverse1 flashback) by narrative weight

(YOU SAVE ONE PERSON YOU SAVE THE WORLD, MIGUEL.)

(TAKING A DEAD GUY'S PLACE IS A VERY MORALLY BIGUOUS ACTION, MIGUEL, IF THAT IS EVEN YOUR REAL NAME)

[craw-dacious]

Review of the making of the map by fox_pitch

I'm new to marauders, this is the second fic I've read.

Summary: I liked this fic, a lot. It was a fun read and I really liked the progression of both Wolfstar and James/Lili (is it Jilly? I can’t remember). A bit less angsty than what I usually read and some parts felt underbaked, but the author kept my attention INCREDIBLY. I stayed up about four hours later than I usually do binge reading this. Very good.

SPOILERS BELOW BEWARE BEWARE

Since chapters are shorter ill do bigger recaps infrequently throughout, but still little chapter notes

Chapter one

YES THEY’RE NOT GAY YET

Cannot wait to see this unfold <3333

Aw they’re so cute, definitely a wolf star focus

I hope this goes through seventh year so I can see James and lily play out

Chapter two

Why did I not process its the first day of term thats wild and crazy

Ok so lily still is buddies with Snape which tracks timeline wise I guess

Do they pants him at the end of the fifth or sixth year I can’t remember

I am confused on the lily dynamic tbh what does she think of the group

Chapter three

This one kinda ate, im liking the short chapters I get more invested in each part of the story

Obviously I know they’re not just gonna kill off Peter, but him dying in the shack did cross my mind

I wonder when lupin gets the potion stuff

Chapter four

MURDER MYSTORY??? HOW FUN

I hope remus gets over himself soon how was Sirius supposed to know how intense the situation was bruh

Blanket statement that I apologize for all shitty teenage boy behavior they need to chill

Chapter five

Calling him inbred is hilarious Im liking remus’s pov

Hes gay James stop

Literally he’s gonna go be ur wingman be happy

Good chapter very chill

RECAP FIRST FIVE CHAPTERS

I like the silliness thats been in this so far. I am NOT liking that remus and Sirius aren’t talking to each other. Is it a narrative device? Absolutely. But I despise it so much.

I think Sirius’ characterization is very good so far, I’m surprised they haven’t fleshed out the Regulus stuff more yet. Hopefully will get his pov soon

God I hope this is a save reggie fic cmon

I really hope this passage is the one to honey dukes.

Im sure the plots about to pick up more since they’re actually making the map

Chapter six

If I was lily I would’ve folded so fucking fast bruh

Like I know he’s annoying but like he’s cute, and likes her so much, and is clearly like progressive what is the problem

Anyway, sirius needs to chill if he wants to be gay

Chapter seven

Closet time closet time its time to be emotional in the closetttt

Calling him a cat is funny

Sirius is my fave because he’s also like a fixer upper with issues but he’s not EVILL he just has trauma

And he actually wants to be the best version of himself yk (unlike some dumb ass fucking bitches I know)

Chapter eight

SHE DID NOT JUST CRUCIO HIM

Cradling his head

Sirius licking him

God can marlene just fucking kill herself please

Chapter nine

Honestly there is no world in which I wouldnt feel awkward with my friends jokingly offering to kiss me as a form of like emotional comfort like thats not normal

Like my best friend gave me a big hug after I broke up with my ex she’s not gonna go “oh haha idk what else to do other than make out with you lol lol.” Sirius what the fuck

Anyway I love to see the lily and James bonding but I can tell it makes remus feel lonelier

Wonder if we’re gonna get Peter development at all

Chapter ten

I dont even want to write uodates anymore because im liking the fic too much

Hes so stressed abt being gay I thought he already knew he was gay bruh Sirius is clueless obvi

Chapter 11

JUMPSCARE FANART BAD BAD FANART ITS TERRIBLE

Love how the maps coming together

This is not going over well with Sirius im sure

12

Ok so bed making out

Im so fucking horny I need to make out with someone STAT

Preferably someone with a penis bc it confirms they like me but tbh I don’t give a shit

Its 1:12 am

So it did go over well with Sirius. I expected some internalized homophobia or something but he’s actually being chill for once

OKAYYYYYYY RECAP TO CHAPTER TWENTY ONE 💋💋💋

so i got so engrossed in the story that i forgot to write my chapter notes

but so far i feel fantastic about it

LOVE LILY AND JAMES' DYNAMIC ITS SO GOOD

the regulus thing is making me want to kms. i have like no hope for reg redemption bc the fic isn't long enough, and i feel like all that happens will be the murder mystery and MAYBE gay shit

sirius was SO STUPID with marlene like clearly remus has some issues with being open and you need to like discuss,, not make out with some other bitch

also them both being bi is not what i expected? feel like remus should be gay

peters character is... interesting. why are they friends with him. also he has bo gryffy qualities wtf.

Recap AGAIN but not done yet

Ok, the wormhole shit is interesting. Poor elves.

I wonder what happened to them, is this the in between place or whatever?

They’re being too romantic on the battlefield you gotta lock in guys

Also I thought an avada grazing you killed you no matter what

Also Sirius fully used crucio and nobody like cared other than remus. Like no commentary

WHERE’S JAMES BRUH

Hilarious. Peak comedy. Coming back to life and IMMEDIATELY kissing Lily. Her being grossed out. Literally perfect.

Ok the introduction of the OOTP, seems good.

Honestly really like what I’ve seen in the fic, but it’s a bit TOO silly for my tastes. I need more angst.

Like obviously I want Remus and Sirius to be openly gay and in love but it was too easy in this fic, like with Destiel its always SUCH an issue lmao.

TOTAL RECAP:

I liked this fic, a lot. It was a fun read and I really liked the progression of both Wolfstar and James/Lili (is it Jilly? I can’t remember)

I do feel like it was a little too light at times, there wasn’t a whole lot of grey area morally, and a lot of big issues weren’t fully fleshed out. I wish they’d dived into Regulus more, and Snape. I wish they’d addressed Sirius’ use of the Cruiciatus curse, and I wish they’d address Dumbledores failings more directly

Werewolf shit was fantastic to read, the angst, the fear, the violence, the drama. I thought the transformations were excellently done and I really enjoyed the progression of them figuring out the roaming/playing

Hogsmeade passage shut off? Strange.

I did not enjoy that I cannot be sure they are safe. That’s a benefit of post-hog warts fic, if its truly marauders James and Lily often don’t die.

Overall very happy fic. I did love the aggressive use of drunkness as a plot device, I liked Lily’s characterization for the most part, and it was pretty addicting in the middle.

I thought Characterization was good, not fantastic but definitely good. Peter threw me, not very likable. It’s hard to do him correctly and have him add worth to the story, but I just did not like him the whole time, and I felt like Remus and Sirius both didn’t care for him and found him annoying.

7.5/10 <3

My rankings are not supposed to be biased. Horrible shitty fic would get like a one, something readable but bad would get a fourish. Most fics that I read will be around 7-9 simply because I sort by Kudos and get recs from misuss so they’re better quality to begin with.

Great light silly read, with just enough depth to keep it interesting. I could see myself re-reading this fic once I get to know the marauders better.

Also, I do not like the fanart in this fic but I'm sure that's not universal. The artist is credited within the fic but I'd like to tag them here just to acknoledge the hard work that went into it. I checked them out and ADORE some of their other work, this one was just not to my liking. They have some percy jackson shit up that EATS.

@komodokai on instagram

[revenantghost]

#SO SO TRUE‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ #also i have a meta post that ive never written out so might as well throw the summary in here #tldr i dont think all of the memories we see in ep11 are true #the tessla part is of course true but we see it from all kinds of tilted camera angles which usually signals that something is off/wrong #but we see and hear that knives in ep11 is *memory manipulating*. there are the obvious ones of course like when ww turns into knives #but basically. given how meticulously detail focused studio orange is. how they use a manga panel as reference for everything. #i find it strange and suspicious how ooc child knives is #so. i dont believe nai was reading the bible actually. i dont believe hes suddenly the stereotypical evil twin from birth in tristamp. #i think the only reliable depictions of child nai are from vash's pov: that he loved cowboy movies. that he was grumpy but loving #(towards both vash and rem) #that they laughed together and he offered to save rem #but it seems oddly out of place that they would change child knives that much and since we only see more details in ep11 i dont trust those #and i think it would be a very good twist if when vash regains his memories in stargaze the memories knives shown crumble and turn into #what really happened #the bible back to world history. maybe even vash and nai changing places and showing how *nai* was the hopeful one at the start #i think thats such a pivotal point of his arc that it wouldnt be right to change it #and like. knives in his mindset reminds me of my grandma and how she sees my mum and BY GOD. she can alter her lived memories #so wether knives lied or made himself believe those were how things actually happened is unclear to me #but child knives in stampede ep11 acts like how dramatic emo kids remember their childhood. how they were always edgy cool and Knew #when in reality. no they aint lmao #(i hope this is coherent im typing this out during my lunchbreak while laying on a couch (hah) mildly cramping lol) - @vero-niche

You are so, so, so right and you should say it. I've seen a lot of people dunking on Tristamp lately for character arcs and themes that haven't finished their arc yet--and I'd argue some things are definitely warped to the point that it's going to be a shock when we learn the truth, like the full story about what happened with Tesla, or how the twins met Conrad before the crash (since when Knives confronted him as a kid, he knew him). And I really agree that Tristamp baby Nai is largely warped perspective--though tbh I think a lot of it is from Vash's POV, especially in the eps before 11. 👀 That's really neither here nor there though because they're both delusional because we still have so much story left to go and find out! Orange has shown the narrative is unreliable in the most satisfying and delicious ways and I can't wait to see where it takes us.

Also the idea that Nai reading the bible isn't real but symbolic... holy fucking shit that is so big-brained

I love how unreliable the narrative is in Tristamp

We’re told something one episode–only to have it contradicted or expanded upon in new, thoughtful ways constantly. There are a lot of examples, but the two that instantly pop into mind are:

1. In the first flashbacks, to right after the ships landed. We see Nai and Vash shouting at each other, and first all we see is Nai laughing maniacally as he accuses Vash of being an accomplice–but Nai’s obviously a little unhinged, we don’t trust him. Then after a few episodes, Nai adds in a line that Vash helped him with the access codes. In that same exact scene! That changes things!!! It adds validity to Vash being his accomplice, despite what we’ve learned about Vash as a person.

2. Also in flashbacks, when Vash runs from Home to confront Knives, he comes across him standing there in the bowels of July, sinister, powerful. In control. Malicious as ever. But then that episode ends, and at the very beginning of the next episode, we watch Nai distressed. We watch him crumple to the ground, stricken, useless, and powerless to save his sisters. And, from his perspective, that’s when Vash walks in the room. It reframes the entire moment.

TL;DR: Orange is an unreliable narrator, they know they’re an unreliable narrator, and in a show so tragically about humanity, they’ve made it true to us in one of the most upsetting ways possible: there’s not only one story or right way to perceive a situation. Each of us brings our own baggage and truths, which makes truth a moot point in the end.

[hideyourautumn-milkteeth]

i have gotten my sleep :D also you got me there ... im just a simple gay who loves having a pleasant conversation with a pretty boy :3

hell yeah writers unite!! a horror film huh? i'll admit i ... have a pretty low horror tolerance ahaha. i get scared pretty easily so i dont really engage with horror media for my own good. i really wish i had more tolerance tho bc horror is so fascinating. but yeah tell me about your ideas still!!! (if i HAD to pick a horror media i like, i guess it’d be needy streamer overload. it's a psychological horror game where you help this mentally unstable girl become a successful streamer)

yeah, a good friend group can really help you get out there. also damn you got a good find! hope you have fun with filming, it sounds exciting :] i thrifted a pretty sick jacket yesterday for around $7 (im not a dollar user so this is me just converting currencies lol). too bad you cant see it for now teehee

ooooo ive only played a bit of portal 1 and played one pokemon game (it was pokemon sword lmao). im currently playing the legend of zelda: tears of the kingdom, reverse: 1999, noctilucent: before dawn, and papa's freezeria deluxe LMAO i play house flipper and slay the spire on the side though. i have more untouched games in my backlog too (i really wanna play dragon age inquisition at some point). so many games, so little time ...

- 🫀

NAAUUUR 😭😭😭 SAAAD that’s SUCH a common response tbh (to the horror thing) :,) i get it tho. There is plenty of good horror that isn’t necessarily very scary tho lmao. My favorite era of horror is the 80s, and there’s plenty of fun wacky flicks from that era that arent very high up on the scary scale.

Also fuck yeah I love thrifted jackets!! I have multiple thrifted green jackets I have plans to use for patches. Two already have patches sewn on, another is blank rn. Probably gonna get more progress on the other two before I start that one. I’m big into DIY alt stuff, like Kandi jewelry and clothing mods. It makes being alt easier since I’m poor af and buying shit is always a risk 🥴

I don’t have much of a beat by beat narrative fleshed out rn. I’m mostly in the concept stage rn. Trying to nail down my inspirations, symbolism, intent with the story, as well as what everything will represent/mean/imply in the greater message overall. I usually wouldn’t go this hard over the lil details and poetics of everything but like wheghwgw my intent w/ this film isn’t to just make a goofy lil slasher or monster flick, but a more meaty film to properly represent what I wanna convey: WHICH IIISSS lycanthropy as a representation of transmasculinity, depersonalization, alienation from society, and the effects of internal and external struggles on young trans people as they’re trying to find their place in the world. As well as how community can save victimized and alienated trans ppl. All through the lens of werewolf :] ANYWAYS SORRY THAT YAP WAS RLLY LONG I probably could’ve summarized but my brain is goo rn and I’m sleepy af :,)

[laffy-taffy-creations]

DAY TWENTYYYYYYYYYYY

This fic was cross-posted on AO3 here

Shattered Worlds Shatter Hearts

Blanket | Found Family | "You will regret touching them"

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Words: 1,958

Warnings: Arguing, platonic break ups, kidnapping, implied manipulation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, out of curiosity, what’s your guys opinions on MEQAT3?” I asked. I waited with bated breath.

There had been some leaked documents, spread misinformation, things that painted me as the bad guy. Who I used to be known as. I tried leaving that place behind.

“Oh, fuck no. They’re nothing but pure evil, cold-blooded killer, extremely dangerous, I just want to… punch them in the face!” Deku spat out.

Yikes. I knew the misinfo was that bad, but… this? From him?

“I think that’s a bit far, but… yeah, from what I’ve heard they sound like another villain. Probably someone up there with the ranks of Voltluxe and the LOV I’d bet,” Ochako said.

“Huh.”

“Any particular reason for that question?” Midoriya asked.

I straightened. “Well, I keep seeing a bunch of stuff painting them as a bad person but, like… has anyone ever actually seen them? I mean, they could easily be strawman, or someone who’s image has been… misconstrued, and manipulated to push a narrative just as easily as they could be someone to stay away from,” I explained. “Also, yikes, I dont think I’ve ever heard you use those words to describe someone Midoriya.”

“I’m sticking with what I said. Nothing but a heartless monster the way I see it.”

A mixture of fury, fear, and helplessness swirled in my stomach. “Have you ever actually seen them? Ever met them?” I tried.

“Have you?” he shot back.

He was so… sure of himself! He barely even listened to what I had said, falling for the propaganda so easily!

“It’s pretty hard not to have met my fucking self!” I shouted. Then recoiled. I realized what I’d said.

His expression fell. “You’re… MEQAT3?” he asked.

With a deep breath I nodded.

Then it morphed into one of disgust. “I cant fucking believe you. YOU’RE ‘MEQAT3’?”

Shock. “Are you kidding? You’ve known me for… how long has it been now? And you seriously believe that I would do that?”

“Well if you’re MEQAT-fucking-3 then I dont know what else you’re hiding."

“I wasn’t hiding anything! MEQAT3 is a name that has ties to a lot of trauma for me, I wasn’t fucking ‘hiding’ anything from you guys! You’ve seen me, I’m not like that!”

Uraraka sat back during the whole conversation, shifting nervously.

“Well I guess I dont know you then.”

“You know, your blind faith in your sources is so amazing I could almost forget that you just called ME a COLD-BLOODED MURDERER OF ALL THINGS AND A HEARTLESS MONSTER!”

“You dont even know my sources. I have others that aren’t from the fucking internet, OV. I’ve heard things. Dont try shit like that with me.”

“You know I have a good feeling I know who you’re talking about and I cant even believe that you’re willing to believe him over your own friend.”

“You’re no longer my damn friend.”

All Might. He was choosing to believe All Might over me on the things that happened to me.

“I cant fucking believe you right now,” was the last thing I said before storming off to my room before I did something I’d regret.

So much for his usual belief of ‘everyone needs a hero, everyone deserves to be saved’. He cant even get over his own bias for the sake of saving friendship. How does he think he’s gonna save actual people in danger? What makes All Might soooo much more reliable than us? What makes him so special?

[Calm yourself a bit Clovie]

Absolutely not! He’s willing to believe Him over us and not able to recognize literally all ‘information’ about us came from him! It turns into a he-said-we-said situation but he’s too fucking blind to that because of his own obsession!

[It’s not fucking fair, it was never fucking fair. But we cant blame him for his own false conclusions.]

He said he wanted to punch us Augs. He called us a cold-blooded murderer, and a heartless monster.

[He’ll come around in due time… hopefully. All we can do now is wait.]

I’m gonna punch something.

[Just dont punch him.]

You say that like we’d ever consider it as an option…

----《 ¤ 》----

Trapped. Captured. Brilliant. With the one person who wanted nothing to do with me.

The chains around me clanked while I adjusted my position. I was kneeling on the floor, trying to get a feel for the situation.

I vaguely knew this place. Clearly we were being held captive. I didnt remember much of my actual capture, I could only tell that it had happened because, well, I wasnt where I was meant to be and also in chains.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Midoriya asked. He’d gotten a lot more… distant at the very least. I wouldn’t call it hostile. It most certainly was hostile, considering this was Deku, but most people wouldn’t really pick up on it, and it couldn’t really be considered that hostile.

At the very least it was aggressive.

“I’m just trying to figure out what the fuck my options are, because I dont use my quirks to save us, then I’m selfish. If I do use them, then I’m a monster solely for having them in the first place because of their capabilites, so I’m just trying to figure out the best course of action so that you dont get more mad at me!”

He sighed. “Vee, I’m not mad at you-”

“You told me our friendship was over just because I’m MEQAT3.”

“MEQAT3 is a monster who killed people. You are OV. There’s a difference.”

“And how exactly does that work?!” I turned to look at him. “Whether you like it or not, I’m MEQAT3, that is a name that has been used to refer to me many times, we are not separate people, but the version you’ve been lied to about is!”

“And that real version of MEQAT3 is a monster who killed people.”

I just looked at him in disbelief. “Okay, firstly, I AM the real version of MEQAT3! Second, those people I supposedly killed attacked me first! They experimented on me for years, put me in a shock collar when I stepped out of line, funnily enough THEY were the ones that killed MY friends, the other experiments in my line! They killed my friends, kidnapped me- I have not seen my parents a single day since I was nine -and I only ESCAPED their clutches because of these powers, ones they forced upon me by the way. And third, I didnt even kill them. I should’ve! Especially considering all the shit they did, to me and my friends! But I didnt. They were in the infirmary for a few days at fucking most, recieving more immediate care than anyone else already in the damn infirmary!”

The villain walked in through the doorway. “Well well, you two fighting already? Dang, that didnt take long, wasn’t even my original goal! But I can work with this~,” they purred.

"Oh shut it, this doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

"No no, it doesn’t, please keep arguing,” they said with an amused smile on their face.

Deku tried breaking out of the chains with his quirk, but ultimately failed.

“Awww, trying rush to escaping? But I haven’t even gotten to the main part!” the villain said, drawing some sort of specialized gun from somewhere and charging him.

Well, they would’ve been, had I not put up a giant wall that ensnared them upon contact so they couldn’t get to him. “I dont fucking think so you lunatic,” I growled.

I snapped the chains around me and stalked towards where I held them in place. “You touch him I’ll make you fucking regret it.”

“Uhm… Vee?” he asked nervously from behind me. I turned. I assumed it would have been from seeing my powers actually in use for the first time, and it mostly was.

But there was also marks, running across what skin was visible, a few ever so slight slashes in his outfit.

My grip around the villain tightened. “Yeah?”

“What are you-?”

“I dont have the time for a sentimental moment right now, there’s a villain here but yes I’m saving you because like it or not I still see you as my friend.” I turned back to the villain. “And for you, since apparently you already had some fun, I will make you regret it.”

The place around us turning into some sort of void, a reality of its own, controlled by me rather than the bunker we had previously been in. The blurring of faded colors mixing with with a darkness far beyond was the only thing one could see in the environment, like something out of a video game. I ensured that me and Izuku were on a platform, safe from all else in the area while the villain got subject to plenty of horrors. Spikes, none deadly, choking to near suffocation, and finally when I switched us back to our reality, thrown against a wall.

“Hopefully you learn your lesson not to mess with class 1-A again, it’d be a pain to do that all over again but worse. Anyways, I’ll be taking this, bye!” I said before grabbing Deku by the shoulder and teleporting us both to the common room.

I didnt give him the chance to say anything, instead leaving to go get a blanket of sorts and gather my thoughts. Just a quick moment of decompression. Even when I did return, I didnt comprehend anything he was saying if he was talking at all. I chose to go on auto-pilot.

I would not be able to handle more verbal abuse. Not right now.

I settled him on the couch, healed up what injuries I could see, which was probably a new power he hadnt been told despite it being the first one forced upon me, which only proved my point about propaganda and slander, and then went to the kitchen to go make some food.

“If ever under an intense amount of perceived stress, you almost always resort to cooking.”

I froze.

“Aaaand your fear response is only ever freeze when something has to do with your past…”

“What are you doing?" I asked, going back to the food.

“Just…” He sighed. “Just starting over I guess. Going with what I know. They never mentioned that you had a healing power.”

I snorted. “Huh, I wonder why…”

“Shut up.”

“I told you from the first day. I’m not in control of my public image. The person who forced this all upon me is. And me having the capabilities to heal at all obviously would’ve been omitted, as well as all the time I actually spent caring for the others at the lab.”

“Whatever… Who even experimented on you? You mentioned something about that.”

“...okay, you’re gonna wanna stay sitting for this one. Snuggle up in that blanket, get nice and cozy, cause this is gonna be hard to take,” I told him, adding a few things to the stew I was making and putting a lid over it, lowering the stove temperature.

I turned around. He wore an expression of equal parts confusion and fear.

“There’s only one person popular enough to have made this much of a fuss about the old me, and it was a hero. And they would’ve had plenty of incentive to spread all that slander, to attempt and drag me down, keep me quiet and afraid. Would have worked, except that I’m not afraid.”

“...oookay?”

“Who exactly gave you all those first-person accounts about how ‘terrible’ I was?”

He thought for a moment, before his features morphed, and I could’ve pin-pointed the exact moment his entire reality shattered.

[snowyybear]

I just have a thing for soulmates who save the world(or destroy it) with love/hate relationships...

If you are here on my account, ✨welcome✨ I mainly reblog Bakudeku and Obikin stuff. They, to me, are the most important characters in their narrative archs' and mixing in love adds a complexity that makes my brain bounce off the walls in 2x speed. I create art and fics but i'm not confident enough to share it, yet. There are many other ships i support in here, tags at the bottom, enjoy!!

Here's a spotify playlist for obikin homies.

Side note: Both these ships are very controversial ships in their respective fandoms, and i have learned to find the fun in defending ships which has, weirdly enough taught me patience and tolerance. And so....

It should be known to everyone in media consumer spaces, that shipping is apart of fandom, as well as queer, culture and is usually an act of engagement with source material. It takes a canon relationship and/or world and changes it, no matter what canon may be. It can be any character, whether they interact or not. It can be as cringy, smutty, angsty, gory, and non canon compliant as the person wants. They are fictional characters, normally seen as ideas and concepts to mess with and experiment. Everyone is different with how they interact with media, and fanfiction/Art can range from incredible to terrible like all forms of creation. It's still a passion and form of art that should be respected. Especially kids who engage in this way. I've seen too many get ridiculed and demoralized for what they enjoyed, and they can become jaded and isolated. That being said, of course ships that cross lines, involve pedophilic and incestual relationships. The ships you like and what you consume still reflect real life, and artistic cp* is still cp*. Shipping real people should also be avoided imo, as it can make them incredibly uncomfortable and crosses boundaries of consent. Please don't harass, bully, argue, or even be passive aggressive(i have a fucking huge pet peeve with people going, "this art is cool, but this ship is DISGUSTING-" like say cool art or don't, and move on), if you don't like stuff, be respectful and move on. People don't want negativity, those who comment are just seeking to feel more superior or an argument. Those people need therapy fr. TLDR: Yada yada treat others how you want to be treated. Be nice to kids. Respect peoples art. Don't engage if you don't like stuff. Also please do call out and report CP. Dont ship real people.

[samarallewis86]

Myka is also the one always taking risks, as much as Pete gets them into shenanigans Myka usually thinks her way out of them but Myka is also self sacrificing, she will sacrifice herself and her happiness for others, for her friends and family, she'll do it at the drop of a hat. HG isn't that at all, she's a pragmatist, but she's self serving often and alot of the time her sacrifices are self interests, she will sacrifice herself not to save the world but to save those she loves, the interests of honour or right or good, don't always factor into her decisions. She's on a course of redemption, but she's never going to be a hero in the more traditional sense.

Pete is, by an large a more traditional hero, he has flaws and a dark side but he is in the show narrative the pluky sidekick style hero. It's a very good disguise for his more true nature and hurts and pains and darkness that he doesn't want to show people, but Pete is a good, Honourable guy.

Thats why I think after all the business with everything and HG coming back to the Warehouse, those two could have become very good friends.

Pete is a guy very much in touch with his emotions, his vibes and feelings and instincts are his guide and they very rarely steer him wrong. He reads people pretty well. He's a giant golden retriever in human form but he's a guy who can read a room.

Myka is a woman in her own thoughts and her own head alot. She exists in a world of logic and reason.

Hg is a woman of imagination and whimsy and science, which most don't think go hand in hand but they do. It takes an understanding of science and a mind for imagination to write the way HG does.

Pete is a guy who lives every day fighting his own kind of darkness and pain, he knows how to see that in someone else.

So those two would form a duo dedicated to making Myka take care of herself. The amount of times those two would be in situations like this and reminding the other about Myka and how mad she'll be at either of them is hilarious and very true to form for the show.

"Dont kill anyone, Myka will be pissed"

"Dont get hurt, Myka will be mad as hell"

"Dont eat all the cookies! Myka will yell at us both"

[attemptsonherlifepdf]

fantastic mr fox: humanising animals, animalising men, and an exploration of masculine identity

‘this story is too predictable.’ / ‘predictable? really? what happens in the end?’ / ‘in the end, we all die. unless you change.’

mr fox, the titular character of wes anderson’s 2009 stop-motion adaptation of roald dahl’s children’s book, is a portrait of two conflicting manifestations of masculinity. he is built to demonstrate the crossover between tradition and modernity, between wild and civilised. characterised as a charming gentleman, almost renowned for his recklessness, mr fox combines his undomesticated instincts with a carefully crafted domestic life. he appears to spend more time manufacturing a perfect home and family than he does actually participating in it. the events of the movie serve to strip away his facade and present both the audience and protagonist with a harsh reality to deal with: the juxtaposing aspects of his identity that he must contend with in order to survive his situation. these aspects are demonstrated through the use of anthropomorphic animals. in essence, the text attempts to convey the message that while you can associate your actions with animal or human traits in order to characterise and frame them, you cannot change their value and their consequences. it serves as a critique of how the nature of male identity is exploited to shunt responsibility, and the movie specifically promotes a more collectivist mentality.

there are four key scenes that mark mr fox’s journey in terms of his identity. initially, we first see his identity openly questioned once he has moved into a new home (a large and expensive tree), just prior to him revealing his ‘master plan’ to kylie, who becomes his assistant of sorts. he asks, ‘why a fox? why not a horse, or a beetle, or a bald eagle? i’m saying this more as, like, existentialism, you know? who am i? and how can a fox ever be happy without, you’ll forgive the expression, a chicken in its teeth?’ he attributes his identity with the ability to fulfil his base desires, like he could in his youth. aspects of his later life such as employment, family, and safety restrict his ability and leaves him feeling untethered from himself. the movie opens with his youthful vibrance and recklessness, and is quickly contrasted with his dissatisfaction with his job, home, and life in general.

MR FOX

i dont want to live in a hole anymore. it makes me feel poor.

MRS FOX

we are poor, but we’re happy.

MR FOX

comme ci, come ca...

does anyone actually read my column?

having been moved out of the hole and into an expensive tree, mrs fox asks her husband:

MRS FOX

do you still feel poor?

MR FOX

less so.

constructing the ideal domestic space for himself and his family does not satisfy mr fox and he yearns for more, which is where is existentialism and ‘master plan’ come into play. domesticity was never going to satisfy mr fox, as he yearns for something youthful and risky and dazzling, adjectives not usually applied to a quiet and content home life. the consequences of this dissatisfaction are drastic and almost immediate.

soon, having been forced out of his new home and underground by an attack from the farmers, mr fox is faced with a situation he cannot charm his way out of. he attempts to apologise to his son and recite a speech to raise the morale of his family, and both of these attempts are shut down by those around him. the facade of his elaborate home, his monologues, even his suits, are abruptly stripped away leaving him with only his actions which he cannot charm his way out of. the reality is that he and his family, his neighbourhood, is stuck underground with no means of food as a result of his selfish actions. this prompts yet another key scene; his argument with felicity, which begins with her viciously hissing and scratching his face.

MRS FOX

why did you lie to me?

MR FOX

because im a wild animal.

MRS FOX

you are also a husband, and a father.

MR FOX

im trying to tell you the truth about myself.

MRS FOX

i dont care about the truth about yourself. this story is too predictable.

MR FOX

predictable? really? what happens in the end?

MRS FOX

in the end, we all die. unless you change.

mrs fox’s physical attack on her husbands face serves as a display of genuine animal ferocity, making mr fox’s claim to being a ‘wild animal’ appear as a flimsy excuse for his behaviour. his chicken theft, which he was insistent upon regardless of the consequences, was motivated not by animal instincts but a selfish desire to feel a particular version of his own masculinity. disregarding the safety of his family actually seems like a natural byproduct of his master plans because he is trying to reclaim his masculinity from a time before his family existed, and in his eyes, restricted him. the very recent loss of his tail, combined with this conversation with his wife, is a harsh reality check for mr fox in terms of the dangers of his masculinity.

the audience sees the outcome of this conversation later on, in the waterfall scene. here mr fox admits to his insecurities and suggests sacrificing himself to the farmers to save the local community.

MR FOX

darling, maybe they’ll let everyone else live!

…

MR FOX

foxes traditionally like to court danger, hunt prey and outsmart predators, and that’s what im actually good at…i guess at the end of the day im just-

MRS FOX

i know. we’re wild animals.

the difference between this admission to animalism and the one from his argument with felicity is that here, both parties gain some acceptance of their animalism without using it as an excuse for their behaviour. the inclusion of others in animalism – ‘we’re’ wild animals, rather than ‘i am’ a wild animal – contributes to illustrate how wildness is not specific to masculinity. it is not femininity vs masculinity but animals vs man.

the movie also questions the nature of an animal in the final key scene known as ‘canis lupus.’ wes Anderson referred to this scene as ‘the reason im making this movie.’ throughout the movie, mr fox alludes to his ‘phobia of wolves’ and shuts down any conversation surrounding them:

MR FOX

scared? no, i have a phobia of them!...a wolf? what’s with all the wolf talk? can we give it a rest for once?

arguably, these reactions are representative of mr fox’s aversion to competitive masculinity. he shuts down any opportunity for those around him to discuss something he sees as more masculine than himself in order to feel secure in his own masculinity. critic shana mlawski argues that ‘the wolf is described as the wildest, most frightening, and yet most beautiful creature in the world. mr fox fears the wolf and yet wants to be exactly like him. we can thus say that mr fox fears pure, wild masculinity yet also yearns to own it himself.’ the scene holds an eerie familiarity to it; mr fox is recognising something that he thought would be a reflection of himself, but the wild animal is no longer familiar to him anymore. he now accepts his role as a husband and a father and no longer fights to overtly express his animalism in the same way as the wolf. the most he can offer the wolf is raising his fist in solidarity. he calls out to the wolf, ‘i have a phobia of wolves!’, which is an interesting moment to admit this in. it’s his acceptance that allows him to admit this. the scene is entirely compromised of male characters: mr fox, kristofferson, ash, kylie and the wolf. mr fox’s admission to his fear allows him to be vulnerable in front of these people he cares about, and to use this as a teaching moment for the young boys.

MR FOX

what a beautiful creature. wish him luck out there, boys.

here mr fox openly admits his admiration for someone else’s masculinity in front of others without showing signs of his own insecurity. he can admire the wolf for what he is without seeing him as competition. the scene allows the audience to see and directly compare two forms of masculinity and animalism, and to understand that there is no one true expression of either of those traits. the wolf has connotations of violence and ferocity, whereas mr fox and his suit and display of multilingualism are entirely modern, but both are masculine animals who are valid in their own right. either way, both animals rely on violence for survival at times.

kupfer frames violence in three ways: symbolically, structurally and as a narrative essential. there are various forms of violence within this narrative, namely mr fox killing chickens and squabs, and the three farmers’ attack on the animal community. symbolically, mr fox’s chicken theft is attributed to his masculinity. while it is often presented as thought-out ‘master plans’, his desire to enact this violence in the first place supposedly stems from his ‘wild animal’ instincts. he associates a time where he felt secure in his masculinity with his actions at the time (violence). structurally, we see the potential for this violence in the opening scene, where mr fox takes his wife chicken-stealing and they become trapped. he is stuck in a fox trap with his wife when he receives the news of his impending fatherhood, a relatively obvious symbol for his view of fatherhood in general. the news of his wife’s pregnancy disrupts his ability to continue stealing chickens, not just on this specific occasion but through the coming years as well. mr fox appears to view family life as an unfulfilling, less raw expression of his masculinity, and is shown to be wholly dissatisfied with his life.

the violence on the farmers’ behalf is almost always in reaction to mr fox’s violence, already giving it a structural framing. boggis, bunch and bean are referred to early on in the film as the ‘meanest, nastiest and ugliest farmers on the side of the river.’ their violence against mr fox and subsequently the local animal community is an attempt to gain back power and status. mr fox’s actions are “humiliating’ and the local news coverage of this exchange between the farmers and animals raises the stakes as now the reputation of these farmers is on the line as well as their power. violence here serves as a narrative essential because it drives mr fox into a situation that forces him to confront his issues with masculinity and splitting between his animal and human traits, giving the text/movie a fulfilling arc. violence is

introduced as inherently masculine, but is decoupled from masculinity by the ending. mrs fox also plays a small but significant role in this; at various moments in the movie she exhibits her own displays of aggression equal in intensity to the men around her, suggesting to the audience that forms of violence should be categorised as human vs animal rather than male vs female. examples of this behaviour include her clawing at her husband’s face, and a parallel between her and a male human character wherein they both connect two wires and shout ‘contact!’, causing an explosion. while this moment is brief, it highlights a distinct difference between animals being violent and men. humans’ aggression is driven by the need for power, whereas that of animals is driven by the need for survival. the man paralleled with felicity only sparked the explosion to destroy mr fox’s home and assert the dominance of the three farmers, while mrs fox used the same form of violence to enact a plan to save her nephew’s life. petey’s song even alludes to this sentiment: ‘well he stole, and he cheated, and he lied just to survive.’

mr fox’s tail becomes a symbol of power; bean wears it as a necktie, and mr fox feels emasculated by his loss.

MR FOX

one of those slovenly farmers is probably wearing my tail as a necktie right now.

…

BADGER

i cant even imagine how painful, even just emotionally, that must be for you… oh but foxy how humiliating, having your tail blown clean off by-

MR FOX

can we drop it?

the use of the tail as a necktie is a symbol of the power that mr fox and the farmers end up jostling to achieve: at first it belongs to mr fox, then to the farmers, and is eventually reclaimed once more by the fox.

MR FOX

you shot off my tail.

[through gritted teeth] i’m not leaving here without that necktie.

when he reclaims his tail towards the end of the movie, it has been torn to shreds and needs ‘dry cleaning twice a week’ to maintain itself. this can be interpreted as a symbol for his evolved definitions of masculinity and power: his masculinity is no longer defined by impressing people or stealing or killing chickens, but in the quiet satisfaction of having a family. the final scene reveals that mrs fox is pregnant again, and instead of her glowing and her husband giving an awkward grin like in the opening scene, both of the spouses ‘glow.’ the structural framing of these pregnancy reveals bookending the events of the movie allows anderson to demonstrate mr fox’s growth and change in his priorities. the domestic life appears to be enough for him, and he no longer seems to find it emasculating,

what stands out as particularly modern about mr fox is how he unconsciously separates himself from both his wildness and his suburban self in his effort to combine them. he uses his ‘wildness’ as an excuse for his violence and selfishness, but is ultimately not willing to participate in truly wild forms of violence and selfishness, such has hunting. his chicken thefts always include infiltrating a human site, like boggis, bunce and bean’s farms, and the fun of it is in outsmarting them, rather than finding those animals himself out in the wild. the local animal community essentially functions as we would expect a rural village occupied by humans to function: everyone knows everyone, there is one local school and various small and quaint homes. while the setting reflects anderson’s signature style, it is also reflective of dahl’s framing of the community in the original text.

mr fox comes across as an individual who believes himself to be above the somewhat backward mentality of his village, that he is the most civilised and dazzling and original, and he exaggerates these traits in himself out of insecurity: ‘if they arent dazzled and blown away and kind of intimidated by me, then i dont feel good about myself.’this is also reflected in his consistent ‘trademark’, his whistle-and-click combination that he uses to set himself apart from other foxes. his home is also a reflection of this:

MRS FOX

you know, foxes live in holes for a reason.

MR FOX

[grunts and tilts head in disagreement]

yes and no.

this insecurity and desire for outsider approval and individuality is inherently human, a quality of his that cannot really be associated with his animalised parts. this precarious sense of identity and self doubt separates him from his ‘wildness’ as it stands, which is only intensified by the fact that he compensates by exaggerating his human traits in order to be liked and feel worthy, as those are the traits he believes have the most value. towards the end of mr fox’s character arc, he is forced to admit that his need for external validation is flawed and unsustainable. when the façade of carefully constructed grandeur is literally washed away by bean, he is left with nothing but his actions and their implications for those around him. foxy reconciles with the relative insignificance of an identity based on other’s perceptions of you when rat dies soon after, reacting to the suggestion that he redeemed himself last minute by revealing ash’s location:

MR FOX

redemption? sure. but in the end, he’s just another dead rat in a garbage pail behind a chinese restaurant.

this moment is also used to inadvertently allow the audience to evaluate the significance of motivation and intention to the value of an action. although rat did reveal useful information to aid the group in saving Kristofferson, mr fox recognises that he only did so because he realised he could not win this fight.

MR FOX

would you have told me if i didn’t kill you first?

RAT

never.

mr fox’s own motivations throughout the movie have devalued his actions as they have mostly been self-serving. as his motivations evolve to centre around his family, he gains the perspective to understand why one’s intentions are so important. while intention does not entirely dictate how good one’s actions are, they certainly characterise the person who’s action it is. your actions have value and consequences as they are, and that cannot be changed by dressing them up or animalising them to distance yourself.

in essence, fantastic mr fox is a lesson in the value of including those around you in your mentality and worldview. it paints masculinity as something that is inherent and complex in nature, but promotes the idea that it is not stuck with its traditional connotations of violence and egoism. mr fox’s emotional development throughout the text mostly centres around his own insecurities surrounding his masculinity and how that causes him to overcompensate in ways that harm those around him. by the end he recognises that more tame and domestic forms of masculinity are just as valid, and that basing his self-worth on how ‘dazzled’ his peers are by him is immature and not constructive. his family now liberates him and allows him to be vulnerable rather than restricting how he feels he can express himself, and as a unit the animals beat the farmers in their game of power-seeking. mr fox recognises and appreciates both his human and animal traits, without using them as a means to excuse his behaviour or to feel bad about his worth.

MR FOX

i guess my point is, we’ll eat tonight, and we’ll eat together. and even in this not particularly flattering light, you are without a doubt the five and a half most wonderful wild animals ive ever met in my life. so let’s raise our boxes – to our survival.

i.k.b