#it never should have replaced genuine human interaction

[simplerainbow]

Is it just me or do businesses not answer the phone anymore???

[mari-lair]

Mitsuba is a mess, and his relationship with Kou just high light it.

(Head up: I’ll call the human ‘Sousuke’ and the supernatural ‘Mitsuba’)

Mitsuba wants friends, and he seems to have focused on Kou to get that, which in hindsight, is a very strange decision. Kou was not his smoothest interaction in Hell of Mirrors, he wasn’t even Mitsuba’s first interaction outside Tsukasa: Nene was.

Nene  had no expectations of how he ‘should be’ based on Sousuke, and she had a lot of time to bond with him.

They bantered and tried to help each other from danger even when scared, and Mitsuba did feel a connection: He ran to her rescue before even Hanako and Kou when the ceiling fell, and he treated her as the priority, only saying his farewells and looking at her fondly when he kicked everyone off his boundary.

It seems like they are already friends, or at least, on friendly terms, so why does Mitsuba focus on Kou after Hell of Mirrors? What changed?

He got obsessed with the idea of identity.

Wanting an identity has been a big part of his character since his introduction.

Mitsuba’s existence is depressing: He thought he was a ghost, a human that died, and forgot his life.  He tried to remember who he was but he couldn’t, so he felt isolated, and empty, and this feeling got worst when Hell of Mirrors didn’t show him anything. No reflection, no fear, nothing.

He displayed some fraction of a desire here: “Who am I?” "I want memories.”

It’s a wish that stuck with him before even the basic ‘wish’ to get out, which was what lead Nene to him and kick started the arc in the first place.

Mitsuba said “who cares” when Nene talks about seeing him before (seeing Sousuke) but he does care. A lot. It is not a passing wish, it genuinely bothers him.

Unfortunately, this wish to ‘remember’ is crushed before it can even became a proper goal.

He is told he is an artificial ghost, he never had a life or a heart for No.3′s mirrors to read: He’s an empty monster, created for the hell of it.

Mitsuba is not an idiot, he can see Kou is using him to pretend Sousuke is still around and Tsukasa is using him for his entertainment.

The lack of love sticks to him, it hurts, but what seems to have affected him the most is his lack of previous life. The idea that he was never human and have no life to remember.

That he doesn’t have anything.

And he can’t accept that.

Unlike Sousuke, Mitsuba's main goal isn’t to make friends: It’s to have an identity, to be somebody.

When he masters his school mystery powers he doesn’t seem to spare Nene, Tsukasa, or even Kou, much thought, but he gets obsessed with Sousuke: He watches his life from the moment he steps into the school, to his graduation, and his destruction.

The mirrors finally show him something, and even if there is this disconnect between himself and Sousuke, it’s still something.

We are told his wish is “to be human”, and that is a big part of it, he wants to have a life, to be visible and tangible, but he wouldn’t have tried to be Sousuke if his goal was simply to have a human body and experience being alive.

Mitsuba is contradictory: He wants to have his own identity, be worthy as himself, but he doesn’t like himself, he feels like an empty frankenstain monster built on the shadows of Sousuke, and being a human with no memories, no connection, no goals outside ‘living as a human’, is still empty. Barely an existence.

So he tries to be Sousuke, he gets lots of friends that call him Sousuke, which is a first name he doesn’t have, and tries to have the relationship he had with Kou. He steals Sousuke’s backstory and Sousuke’s dream, and tweak it to convince himself he is living his own dream.

He keeps following the previous No.3 rumor, even if by accident or force: First by stealing No.3′s seat number “to not disappear”, and after by stealing Sousuke’s dream “to have something"

But there is still a distance between him and Sousuke that shows replacing him was never his intention: Mitsuba doesn’t guard the photography book Kou gave him in Hell of Mirrors, he doesn’t try using a camera at all in picture perfect, he doesn’t like being mistaken for Sousuke.

He just likes to feel like somebody that can realistically be loved.

Even if deep down he is convinced it’s not true.

He only snaps out of his Sousuke obsession and goes back to pay attention to Kou as an individual, not as a major link to an identity he feels empty without, in chapter 48, after he opens up and Kou pays full attention to his wishes as Mitsuba, not Sousuke, for the first time.

He begins to care about Kou on a personal level: He stops watching Sousuke and starts watching Kou.

Considering how much free time Mitsuba have, I assume he watched more of Kou’s life through the window: The way he saved Hanako in the Young Exorcist arc, his big talk when he learned about Nene’s life spam, and so on. But even if he didn’t, since I have no proof he did, Mitsuba still witnessed how he did not fight back while in danger with Sousuke, and everything in picture perfect.

He knows Kou has a martyr complex.

Kou wants ‘perfect’ solutions and feels very distressed when he can’t have them. He’ll put himself in danger to give ‘anyone’ a happy ending, this, paired with Mitsuba’s view of himself, makes this conclusion perfectly reasonable:

So even though he doesn’t feel comfortable calling Kou a friend, Kou still makes him feel like he matters. Like he is worth grieving.

He likes when Kou listens to him and notices things about him, because it makes him feel like his existence is loved, which Mitsuba has convinced himself it does not, and never will.

An act as simple as remembering he has a fondness for penguins made him melt.

And while I am sure he would be happy if anyone did something so nice to him, he is extremely affected by Kou in specific. He values what Kou does much more than anyone else, his actions stick with Mitsuba to the point of madness since their first meeting.

In Hell of Mirrors, Kou should have been perceived as a lunatic: He is a stranger that’s way too touchy and speak nonsense about personal things Mitsuba wasn’t a part of, but even though he doesn’t even know Kou’s name, he is speechless by Kou. 

The memory that stuck with Mitsuba in Hell of Mirrors wasn’t this weird stranger grabbing his face and demanding he remember something that he never experienced, it was Kou’s watery smile, the clear love, and relief he felt when seeing what he had believed to be Sousuke.

I’m sure Mitsuba had no idea how to react to having someone cry of joy to see him, but the way Mitsuba's survival instinct stopped working when Teru tries to kill him is unbelievable: Mitsuba is so focused on how Teru remind him of Kou, on how seeing someone that looks like Kou with such cold and cruel eyes doesn’t compute, that this ‘wrongness’ take all his attention, leaving him uncapable of processing the deadly sword on his face. 

He sees Nene, Sakura, and Natsuhiko, distressed on many occasions, and while he does get sad for Nene and can empathize with them all, when Kou is the one troubled he pays full attention, he goes out of his way to help and freak out when Kou gets too sad. He goes as far as to put a pause on his wish to die to make Kou stop.

His joy also affects him more than anyone. When Kou is happy Mitsuba is always star struck.

He forgot every Nene smile but played Kou’s watery smile on repeat after Hell of Mirrors. He constantly frames Kou as if he is bright like stars or larger than life.

Even when he completely disagrees with what Kou says, Mitsuba still pays full attention. Is like he can’t look away when Kou is paying attention to him.

Because of it, instead of being dismissive or unimpressed, he gets very shaken and frustrated when Kou promises things he doesn’t believe in.

Kou have a lot of power over Mitsuba, which Mitsuba doesn’t nescesarily appreciates.

He wants to get closer but he also want a break from Kou.

Mitsuba isn’t very good at handling strong emotions, but he also has the bad habit of dismissing casual feelings or forgetting them.

He may be a very sweet supernatural, more emotional and empathetic than most, but in the end, he is still a supernatural: He does not get attached to people easily, and have an odd sense of priority.

He doesn’t have a high standard of how ‘caring or nice or alive’ someone need to be for them to be worthy of being his friend, he just want someone, anyone, to hold on to.

And yet he unconciously doesn’t allow himself that.

We can’t justify his sudden lack of interest in Nene, who was the closest thing to a certified ‘friend’ he got in Hell of Mirrors as him putting a mental block on her after learning of her lifespan: He just has no desire to be closer to her, be it because she wasn’t awake when he was told he is a frankenstain and therefore doesn’t see Mitsuba as the monster he sees himself, so he feels a disconnect, or because of something else, but regardless, he has convinced himself that she isn’t someone that he can care about, or isn’t someone that will care about him.

The same goes for the broadcasting club.

It is understandable why he doesn’t consider Tsukasa a friend, since despite how useful and competent Tsukasa is (he kidnaped no.4 as a present for Mitsuba, keeps him alive, gives him no.3 power and so on), he is hurtful and scary. But Natsuhiko and Sakura have shown to worry about him and go out of their way to make him happy.

They welcomed him with open arms, and they may not be perfect, but they do try to listen to him, they do care.

Natsuhiko was genuinely distressed when Mitsuba was in danger. He may be very goofy, but he tries to help enough that even Mitsuba acknowladge.

But Mitsuba does not consider Natsuhiko a friend, an annoying sibling, or anything.

No matter how desperate he should be to connect with others so he doesn’t feel empty he just... don’t.

He can’t put a label to the people he surrounds himself by, not on his own. He doesn’t cling to any bond he might have created, so he still feels alone, and with no reason to stay in the near shore.

He gave up on his current connections.

He gave up on being human and making new connections.

He would have gived up on the idea of friends as well, if it wasn’t for Kou.

Kou have a lot of power over him, and Mitsuba want to be Kou’s friend very badly but he was basically told point blank Kou doesn’t feel comfortable calling him in specific a friend.

He does get his hopes up after Kou jumps off the roof for him in picture perfect, but throughout all of the manga, Kou never called him a friend, he only ever called Sousuke a friend.

So once Mitsuba’s body started be unable to hold itself together, and he had to eat supernaturals to stay around, any kind of hope grew too troubling, not worth the pain and self hate of merely existing, so Mitsuba gave up on being his friend. He decided he just doesn’t care anymore. About anything

Or so he told himself.

The moment he sees Kou all happy to see him and worried about his health, he can’t look him in the eye. He either doesn’t have the courage to hurt his feelings (cause he knows Kou's sadness makes him super uncomfortable), or his determination to die wavers.

He hold on to him, and instead of giving up on this connection too, his ‘last wish’ is to spend time with Kou.

He still clearly want to be Kou’s friend, or more than friends, he just didn’t want to think about it.

The penguin destruction wouldn’t have distressed him so much otherwise. The idea of going to a festival with Kou wouldn’t be useful if Mitsuba didn’t get excited and looked forward to hanging out with Kou.

[lunarmoves]

Man, when I wrote that ask, I thought Sun’s reaction would be along the lines of ‘feeling betrayed and angry over his favourite human’s perceived abandonment of him, either doing his best to right them off or creepily tracking them down to confront them and maybe even forcing them somehow to never leave him again,’ or even ‘realizing how he had been treating y/n was hurting them and he wants to fix it.’ Starting a whole robot apocalypse hadn’t occurred to me.

When reading a few of your previous drapples from before this Bleeding Wires au all started, I had imagined that Sun was somewhat already aware of his feelings for y/n and that he cared for them, but he didn't know how to express that without his grim thoughts and tensely charged anger getting in the way. Most interactions were usually friendly, but y/n had come to believe that those weren't really genuine considering all the occasions of hostility Sun shown to them. This idea greatly contrasts though in how you explain that Sun only begins to understand his feelings for y/n long after the uprising.

Now that he has y/n, will Sun be able to realize why they are scared of him? And why they left the pizzaplex in the first place? Will he be able to recognize the part he did in making them feel this way? Or is that amount of empathy still out of his reach?

TO BE FAIR i didn’t expect it to segue into a robot apocalypse either LOL. id been throwing out small ideas and answering asks abt a sun who believes in robot superiority beforehand and i guess my brain just connected it at an instance where it saw an apocalypse could be started?? i think it was just heavily on my mind beforehand ngl. i do plan on answering an ask i received about what wouldve happened if the apocalypse aspect was cut completely LMAO

i WILL say tho that yeah, a lot of my drabbles before bleeding wires was started DO involve a sun who is more accepting of his feelings. and that’s because i like writing multiple versions of sun LMAO. you’ve nailed that sun completely correctly! those drabbles are not related to bleeding wires bc the sun in them does not have a superiority complex. he’s more… aware that he is a robot, afraid of being replaced should he be found broken, slightly unhinged, and waaay friendlier. all the relevant asks and writings to ‘bleeding wires’ (aka where sun has that robot superiority complex) should be tagged accordingly! anything outside of that involves different flavors of sun that i like to play around with c: like— i have definitely written nice sun before LOL, one who isn’t unhinged in the slightest, bc i do like that version of him as well. it can get confusing keeping track of it all, so i apologize if things get mixed up or if i say stuff that doesn’t align ! i’ll go back and double check tht everything is tagged appropriately. and maybe ill make a masterpost sorting out the different sun types LMFAO (i.e. nice yet sarcastic sun, nice yet unhinged sun, robot superiority sun, etc)

back to bleeding wires— in arc2 i like to imagine that sun gets better with emotions to the point where he IS able to empathize to an extent. at some instance, him and reader will have a conversation about why you left, bc that’s something sun has thought about a lot, and he’s definitely not going to let you off the hook in terms of answering him. in that conversation, you will for sure talk about the issues you had/have with him. because explaining to him why you left would involve you mentioning that you thought he didn’t like you. that now you are scared of him and what he has done.

and by then sun has seen his fair side of fear and anger and stuff in humans, making him able to better identify such emotions. and he knows he has caused it all. so he will be able to look at himself in the mirror and think about how he may be seen to others and why, precisely, you are so frightened of him. while he definitely won’t be the best at empathy at the start, he’ll learn—as his AI was designed to do. just… he’ll learn a little bit too late

[mothercetrion]

I really like the relationship between Johnny and Ashrah. like, a lot, and I think it's a very underrated relationship between the characters. full thoughts under the cut because it gets long (and also has MK1 spoilers!).

they get along for the duration of the story mode, with Johnny flirting with her/talking about her looks significantly less than he does any of the other women he has met (Kitana, Mileena, and Sindel, notably). he still does on occasion, but it doesn't feel as often? to me?

Johnny is the one to invite Ashrah and Syzoth to come back to Earthrealm with him, Kenshi, and Lao. when Johnny gives her what she views as a ridiculous disguise at the festival, she openly says as much, and Johnny insists that it looks good on her. it's about as flirtatious as he gets when he's speaking to her in the story.

A: You couldn't steal a more functional hat? JC: What? It hides your face. And honestly...it suits you.

I'm sure it's more of a nod to her more well-known design, but…still. it feels so much more genuine than his normal compliments, if that makes sense? no cheesy nickname, nothing drawn-out or overly dramatic. short and sweet. very unlike Johnny and incredibly endearing (and noticeable) as a result.

and then, once they're in Earthrealm, he's the one to introduce Ashrah and Syzoth to Liu Kang. he attributes the safe arrival to Earthrealm to them, which is true, but hearing Johnny openly credit them for their help was quite nice.

their story mode interactions end here, but their pleasant relationship continues in their intros. granted, Johnny does flirt with her (he is Johnny, after all), but it's a lot less than it is with the other girls on the roster. their intros are actually incredibly sweet and show off their close bond.

A: You fought bravely against Shang Tsung. JC: That's just life imitating art, sweetheart.

Johnny calls her "sweetheart" in this one. typical Cage flirting and hyping himself up.

A: I will fight without fail until I am absolved. JC: You are truly a wonder, woman.

more flirting…and a not-at-all-subtle "Wonder Woman" reference. a mix of Johnny's typical media references/possible flirting and a nod to Ashrah's VA (Susan Eisenberg, known for voicing Wonder Woman) from NRS. checks out.

JC: It's hard to believe there's a demon inside there. A: My true face would horrify you, Cage.

they talk about Ashrah's demonhood and how human she looks, something Johnny notes within seconds of their meeting. I feel like this intro also implies that Johnny thinks she's beautiful? "under there" being a beautiful face and Ashrah's "true" face potentially being horrifying to him, unlike her more human face.

JC: Your kriss would look outstanding on my mantel. A: I could never part with Datusha.

Johnny needs a replacement for Sento since he gave it to Kenshi! he thinks Datusha is neat, just like he did Sento. not a surprise here either.

JC: I love redemption stories. A: Yet mine is not for sale.

JC: C'mon, a tour would really help my story research. A: No living creature should visit the Netherrealm.

A: Your Hollywood is rife with evil. JC: You don't need your kriss to know that.

they talk about Johnny's movies, life in Hollywood, and Ashrah's story being made into something that Johnny makes. it makes sense with Johnny's character since he's interested in everyone else's stories for his movie, but talking about Hollywood generally is interesting to me.

A: So you were once married? JC: Amazing anyone would let me go, right?

Ashrah talks to Johnny about a very personal part of his life, possibly in an effort to get to know him more? or perhaps just asking him about it after hearing it from someone else. it's not revolutionary that she would ask, considering that it's brought up in other intros, but it's still interesting nonetheless.

JC: I've been in recovery too, y'know. A: We all have our inner demons.

this intro is one of my favorites for Johnny. he mentions doing "steps" to her briefly in the story mode, and he mentions his "recovery" here. I am extremely curious about what he's gone through in his career to warrant what sounds like therapy of some kind. regardless, he knows what it's like to want to be a better person, and he tells Ashrah that, supporting her own journey to goodness in his own way. it's a new layer to him that I would love to know more about. regardless, for some people, talking about their vulnerabilities so openly can be challenging, so it's clear that he doesn't want Ashrah to feel alone in her efforts. it's sweet.

A: You have poor taste in disguises. JC: [groans] When will you forgive me for that hat?

…and Ashrah still gives him hell about that disguise.

the vast majority of their intros are friendly with minimal flirting in sight. if so, it's much more subtle than his usual manner. Johnny is much more genuine with Ashrah than he is with the other women on the roster, and I think a lot of that is because of their time together in the story mode. they get to know one another and even have some things in common, things to bond over to strengthen their relationship.

anyway, I think Johnny and Ashrah are really close <3 and I think it's sweet.

[rmorde]

Trigun Manga Reaction

Now, back to Volume 1 Chapter 9!

Insurance Ladies know they are going above and beyond what is normal here. But, they still continue as consummate professionals.

THIS IS SO ADORABLE!!! SO CUTE SO CUTE SO CUUUTEE!

I like the tiny little details that hints something about the characters too.

The most obvious things are Milly's childish expression (playful) and Vash's one leg raised on the seat position (gremlin). However, "no nonsense" Meryl's feet are placed inside the table's rings! You'd expect her to put them by the side of the table but nooooo!!! They need to be IN the ring (she's not above them all!). LMAO.

Tbh... I think the Kaite & Vash relationship feels more fleshed out here in the manga than the anime. I guess it's because of the Rem conversation. It added more weight to their interactions.

Also, they're adorable! Kaite is one sharp kid calling out Vash's bullshit. Vash, like a dog with a bone, keeps deflecting.

Oh wow. This is a huge difference from '98. Kaite was totally alone when he approached the crew.

And this is just as painful and hard to see because, you can absolutely understand the crew's reaction and feelings. What Kaite did was wrong. At the same time tho, he is just a kid who didn't know better. Taking out their grief and fury on him is not right.

Gosh... It makes me think of Little Vash and The Great Fall.

I wonder what exactly went through Vash's head here. In my perspective, Kaite is reflecting Vash unknowingly in this scene. But it's so painful because he's just a kid. He should never have been put in this position. He is too young to be on this path for atonement and redemption! It's just wrong.

Hmmm. Another big difference. Interesting. The Plant was never mentioned in '98 at all.

So, Tristamp followed this manga arc more closely. Some elements are remixed such as Wolfwood replacing Kaite, the Gung-ho Guns substituting BDN as a threat, and the race is avoiding destroying a town instead of avoiding falling off a cliff. All beats are the same tho.

HOWEVER!

I think '98 has a more logical timeline personally because they are in a hurry to stop the ship right? It's a critical moment. If you think about it, there should not have been enough time for Vash to regroup with Kaite after the duel. So, '98 having these two events happen simultaneously is actually good.

Another benefit is Kaite's offer to help feels much more genuine when he was alone and away from Vash in '98. It really sells the idea that this is entirely his own decision despite the risks of retribution.

Of course, Vash didn't influence him in the manga too but by visually having him there with Kaite, it kinda undersells it imo.

Oi. Vash. That's no way to talk about your sister!

While I do appreciate the changes on the Plant design in Tristamp, I really like the '98/Manga more. They're both excellent designs for Sci-Fi but I just really like the 90's flavor of magical Angel Power Plant... which appeases my thing for magitek.

Tristamp tho is a modern flavor of alien Faerie Power Plant - not bad but not my cup of tea. However, the glowing lines feature is wonderful! It reinforces the idea of them being power plants because they have "circuits" in the body. Restraining myself from saying Magic Circuits!

Oh... This is a really fascinating set of panels that I think both '98 and Tristamp haven't adapted well.

'98 kinda skipped this. However in Tristamp, the emphasis on Plants is very clinical. Not sure if that is the best way to describe it, but, in the plants feels so much more objectified in Tristamp. I guess the horror element about the human-plant relationship is further emphasized there.

It's contrasting the manga which seems to be more focused on the awe-inspiring side of it like in the scene above. The scientist waxes poetic and is practically making a religion out of the whole thing.

I guess, to put it simply, the manga effectively shows how humans see Plants worthy of worship. Meanwhile, Tristamp displays how humans see Plants as just a life-essential battery.

So beautiful... Oh...

What if the re-design happened because animating expressive individual feathers would be a pain for Orange staff? GASP! Is that why everyone's hair were cut short?! Because hair is tedious to animate. OMFG... IS THIS WHY MILLY WAS CUT OUT IN SEASON 1 since she really really long luscious locks?!

I kid. I kid. 🤣

Oh. That's really clever remixing by Studio Madhouse. So '98 Miss Purple Avenger Episode is like a "Prototype" of this manga arc. This is where Vash having to prevent an explosion of a Plant came from.

Okay. Another great difference... I've been saying that a lot in this chapter. Sorry.

In '98, Vash dealt with this alone and the only witness was terrified. It focused more on the mystery.

However, here in the manga, Vash is not alone. Humans must work with him to save the Plant and everyone. He can only buy time but it's up to them to stop the whole thing. It's a really nice display of Vash's hopes and beliefs regarding human-plant relations. ----> BTW, the art in this page is really pretty and interesting! (1) The almost "gradient" like transition of Vash's coat to the bulb is so creative. (2) The drawing of the Plant resembling a blooming flower: feathers as ray florets, the plant/sister as the disk floret, and the wires as receptacle/stem.

These pages are so gorgeous and the way the slowing down of the heartbeat was shown through the interspersed tiny panels is just really good.

ROFL. The human instinct of "I don't know what's going on but it's helping so I won't pry anymore and I'll just roll with it!". Love to see it!

I think this arc is so good because it justifies Vash's often criticized brand of hope - his endless patience at giving humans chances to bridge the gap between their species.

Humans can work together and save themselves with just a little push. They won't rely on exploitation forever.

People can realize when they are wrong. They can atone and redeem themselves. They do not stay cruel and ignorant forever. They are capable of change. ----> Also, this art is so perfectly adapted in '98. This page, actually, all the pages relating to this collective effort of humans to save the ships (with a bit of an assist from Vash) is so heartwarming to read. ----> Oh... Kudos again to '98 because since they relegated the 'Vash prevents a Plant explosion' to an earlier episode, the episode covering this particular plot had him out of commission. So, the stakes have become higher. Humans must set aside their differences and work together to save each other and Vash too.

And finally, humans are more than what they seem. They are complicated. What could be an enemy at first could turn out to be an ally that can save you later.

This entire conclusion to the conflict is just good and very... Vash. This is what he wants for Knives to see and understand about humans.

I think '98 really did well in adapting the essence of this arc. Tristamp is complicated because now, on hindsight as I read the manga, the episodes are basically hard-carrying and working overtime telling multiple plot lines at once!

Let's see... in Tristamp's version of this arc:

Wolfwood was working double time in the narrative as "Kaite" and one half of the "Good/Hope of Humanity". Not to mention he has his own conflict going on too.

Meryl was the second half of the "Good/Hope of Humanity" that works with Vash (Plant) in saving people.

Unfortunately, with BDN being replaced by the Gung-ho Guns, there is nothing that echoes the "Hidden Depths Enemy Turned Ally"... character...No way... OMFG! WOLFWOOD WAS SUBSTITUTING FOR THAT ROLE TOO IN THIS ARC!!! Poor Woofwoof!

Roberto is a unique addition since he is a Tristamp OG, but I think he represents well the approach taken by Orange with Trigun. He is like the "Flaws/Indifference of Humanity". He is good but experience had turned him into someone that's jaded and refuses to rock the boat (unlike Meryl). His age and 100% ordinary human status prevents him from surviving long enough to change his disposition too (unlike Wolfwood). It's pretty in line with Orange's more emphasis on the "darker" aspects of the story.

WHA-?!!!

Eh? Eh? EHHH?!!

WHY WAS THIS CHANGED IN '98?!!! THIS IS ADORABLE AND COOL!!! AHHHH!!!! NOOOO!!!!

But... then there won't be Meryl and Milly supporting injured Vash. NOOOO!!! Augh. AND THERE WON'T BE TRISTAMP VERSION OF THIS! AHHHH!!!!

Oh. So, the singing is in the manga too. That's a surprise. I thought it was a '98 original scene.

Awwww. ಥ_ಥ

[multidimensionalmusicalmess]

A bunch of praise of Olivia Barnett-Legh's performance of one specific scene, and of the west end revival's version of Heather Chandler in general

(This post is copied over from Reddit; I wrote it there originally because I was shadowbanned here.)

Disclaimer: I've never seen a portrayal of Chandler I didn't enjoy, and each actor brings at least one unique and brilliant thing to the role. While Olivia is my personal favorite for the reasons below, I don't mean by comparing her to other actors to in any way disparage those other actors, and this post is obviously my opinion, not fact. Also, I am very gay, and am biased towards any version of the show that makes it easier to read things in a gay manner.

Additional disclaimer: I will be extrapolating way too much from small details in this post. But isn't that the grand tradition of musical theater fandom?

Okay! So, despite being in the Heathers fandom for... way, way too long, to the point that I named myself Heather after Chandler a few years ago, I only got to see the show live for the first time a couple months ago in August. I was lucky enough to see the last West End revival cast with Miracle Chance, George Renshaw, and Olivia Barnet-Legh, and I adored Olivia's portrayal in particular so much that it singlehandedly got me back into the fandom and inspired a (so far) 50k word fic I've been writing ever since.

To preface, I'll talk a bit about what this particular production of the show does for Heather Chandler—if nothing else, because a lot of people seem unfamiliar with it, and it's worth being familiar with. Generally speaking, while the 2014 off-Broadway production made Chandler an entirely villainous and external presence, the latest version of the show has done a lot to bring the story a bit more in line with the movie, in which Veronica and Chandler were close friends before the story even began. In the 2014 production, Chandler's death is barely a tragic event, and it certainly isn't seen as one by the other characters (except perhaps McNamara). Veronica says after Blue that she doesn't feel as bad about Chandler's death as she should, and they share little chemistry other than that of enemies. It makes the line "I just killed my best friend" ring very hollow, for all the other merits of the original show.

This is radically changed in the latest production. Listing all of the ways the two characters have been made closer would take too long, so I'll just go over the big ones. Firstly, the line about not feeling guilty is cut, and replaced with an earlier and much more sincere "I feel bad. Heather was a human being, and we killed her" right after The Me Inside of Me. The croquet scene is made longer and changed from awkward and tense to playful and relatively friendly (except, obviously, Chandler's interaction with Duke). Several of Chandler's more confrontational lines with Veronica are cut (such as "You're doing it wrong!"). 'Ghost Heather' is given significantly more stage time, and, most importantly, shares a genuine rapport with Veronica. The two talk together in the background of multiple scenes (such as during Martha's added conversation with Fleming before Shine A Light) in what looks like an amicable way, and—my personal favorite—after the new conversation between Chandler and Veronica after You're Welcome (formerly Blue), rather than delighting in Veronica's suffering at the hands of Duke, Kurt, and Ram, Chandler actively gets between Duke and Veronica, in what (in most performances I've seen) reads as an attempt to protect her, or at least possessive jealousy. Granted, she does eventually give up and join in the song, but, well, she's still Heather Chandler.

(As a side note, all of these scenes between Veronica and Ghost Heather have an enormous amount of visible dialogue that isn't audible to the audience, and while I know that there probably aren't set lines in the script there, I would kill to hear what the characters are saying to each other)

All this sets the stage, so to speak: The most recent version of musical Heather Chandler is, while still arrogant and mean, much less cruel, and seems to share a mutual affection with Veronica. So, where does Olivia come into this?

First off, I'm incredibly biased towards her performance because she's gorgeous, has a ridiculous and entertaining voice, is a head taller than Veronica, and plays the gayest version of Chandler I've ever seen. But that goes without saying, and this production was really gay for plenty of other reasons anyway (particularly at the show I saw, where Veronica sang "A hot girl smiled at me" in Big Fun).

What stuck out to me most, though, and the reason I love her performance, is how she plays Heather after her death, especially the part of The Me Inside of Me clipped above.

It's long been a subject of speculation whether Heather Chandler's appearances after she dies are her literal ghost, or a figment of Veronica's imagination. Generally, I think it ends up largely down to acting decisions, and most actors make it pretty ambiguous (though there's been a shift towards the ghost end of the spectrum in later productions when compared to the 2014 one; Olivia, for instance, is far from the only actor to physically drag Veronica around during Never Shut Up Again).

Olivia, though, leans harder into the ghost interpretation than anyone else I've seen. I won't say she confirms it—that's impossible without script changes—but she heavily implies it, most notably in the above scene.

There are a few ways actors tend to play this part of The Me Inside of Me (the section most open to individual interpretation). Some, like Charissa Hogeland from the famous 2014 bootleg, Maddison Firth from the proshot, or Jodie Steele from the first West End run, mostly stand around being indignant and smug, which does undeniably work for the character. Others, like Emma Kingston (also from this revival), plays it very contemplatively, which I also like.

But Olivia panics. Her Chandler reacts exactly as I'd expect her to react to as if she were actually a ghost and had actually just discovered that nobody at the school who used to worship her could see her anymore, and I adore this for several reasons.

The first and most subjective reason is that it's extremely angsty. I read a lot of fanfiction, and seeing someone play Chandler in a way that felt like it stretches the boundaries of what the script allows for is brilliant. It makes the scene very sad in a satisfying way.

More importantly, this sadness radically alters the tone of the song, and by extension a large part of the show, in a way that I'd argue improves it. In most performances, The Me Inside of Me is a comic song. It's darkly comic, of course—this is Heathers—but the complete misunderstanding of Chandler's character, and Chandler's reaction to it, is mostly just funny.

Olivia's running around and trying to get people to notice her during the second chorus changes (a large part of) the song from darkly funny to outright eerie. Her escalating panic and terrified expression, plus her horrified reaction to the suicide note, suck most of the positivity out of the scene. Of course, it does still end with her being overjoyed at the attention, because that's how the show goes—but the influence of this part stays there, and its influence is apparent in every other scene she has as a ghost.

It impacts more than just her, though. Frequently, I've seen people criticize the musical for making JD seem too justified in his actions. Some dislike the addition of You're Welcome because they feel it casts Kurt and Ram as people who deserved to die; some dislike the emphasis on his tragic backstory in general. I don't agree with this critique, personally; I love sad, sympathetic JD. However, I do agree that the musical has often suffered from not showing negative consequences of the murders. Sure, Veronica says she regrets Chandler's death, but besides Duke's coup, it can be hard to see why her death or those of Kurt and Ram are really so bad. Olivia's performance during The Me Inside of Me, and to a lesser extent later on, makes immediately clear the tragedy of Chandler's death; it's obvious to the audience that, despite how united the school suddenly is, nothing good is happening here.

The biggest influence all of this has on the show, though, is how it changes Veronica's relationship with Chandler. Of course, no matter how you interpret things, they were clearly some degree of close in this version of the story; even if Chandler is a hallucination, Veronica cares about her enough to hallucinate everyday conversations with her. If Chandler isn't, though, and is really there—as Olivia's performance implies at every turn—then those interactions mean so much more. They mean that Chandler values Veronica enough to spend time talking to and in physical contact with the person who indirectly killed her, and, though we don't see much of their dynamic together before Heather's death, they imply that they really were close; or, alternatively, that Chandler is spending time with the person she condemned to social execution because nobody can see her anymore and she feels like it. It means, in short, that everything she does after her death can be taken as evidence about Heather Chandler, rather than about Veronica's stressed-out mind.

Now, obviously, I'm extrapolating a lot of meaning from a very short scene. I'm also praising Olivia's performance specifically when many of the elements that contribute to the ghost interpretation of Chandler are scripted, and thus shared by everyone who plays her in this production.

But, honestly, I'd just never seen anyone play Chandler's realization that she's dead remotely like this before, and I was really excited by it when I saw the show; I figured I might as well share some of that excitement with other fans. Hopefully the more fandom-minded among you (that is, people inclined to engage with fics) can see why I find this version of the character so fascinating, and those who aren’t can at least be amused by my extremely long post.

[bitterrobin]

Reader Beware....

another Flamebird in Gotham au, notes app substitution on this site!

this time I'll be listing my personal goals for the au and the developing fanfiction. (ignore if you don't want spoilers! /or you just couldn't care less about my DC/Batman thoughts)

create a fic/maybe a series that develops Bette Kane and introduces her to an audience that does not know her

Bette is highly underrated and unused. The potential in her parallel to Dick Grayson and her history with both Kate Kanes is a lot. Now that I've gotten into this fic and my hcs, I will now forever resent Grayson (2014) bc I can see so much there if you just swap Dick for Bette as the insider-spy. (Kathy Kane characterization in that comic notwithstanding).

characterize and humanize Talia al Ghul

I very much prefer a Talia that is complicated and tragic. She deserves her own development arc and she deserves a characterization that won't paint her as a strictly abusive mother. There's so much there, she's an old character and a great one! (Morrison I am closing my hands around your bald head). Yes, she's not a perfect mother. Who is? I prefer a Talia who maybe wasn't there for Damian all of the time, but she tries, goddamnit. Talia has her own heavy trauma and baggage that should be taken into account with the way she raises Damian. She should have way more in common with her son, especially when it comes their relationships with Ras.

actually write Damian Wayne in a published fanfic for once (you do not want to see my many many drafts and wips)

Not as much to add here, other than I don't think my Damian headcanons or characterization is that far removed from canon.

focus on other aspects of Gotham City that aren't tied to Batman/Robin (like Ragman, Wildcat, Mother Panic)

Self-explanatory. Gotham is a huge and diverse city, and having only Batman and vigilantes directly associated with him operate there is super boring.

Integrate Bette Kane and Kathy Kane into the wider Batman/"Batfamily" mythos

Also self-explanatory. It'd be nice. They're the first Batwoman and Bat-girl!

Create future opportunities for smaller, lesser known Batman characters (if this becomes a full series) like Charlie Gage-Radcliffe, the Foxes, Calvin Rose, Onyx Adams)

Please I need to see them in fanfiction form. Charlie is my blorbo who needs more comics, and Calvin is my favorite Talon. Also, he's canonically a former member of Haly's Circus and he wasn't given the immortal juice like the others - it is my hc that he was in the circus around the time that Dick was.

Rectify the deaths or character assassinations that I don't like (Orpheus, Holly Robinson)

Orpheus's death sucks major ass. Bringing him back no matter what, just to satisfy my brain. Holly Robinson deserves to be Catwoman for at least a while longer.

If I'm crazy enough to do it - introduce Christopher Kent in the future to an audience who does not know him.

MY SON. Look, I like Jon. Mildly. He's alright. But Chris is MY defacto Superman child and everyday I mourn what could've been if he wasn't aged up (deja vu) and he was able to exist for just a little while longer so that he could interact with Damian. So, if this au becomes a series, you best believe that I'm including at least a cameo. Jury's out if I fully replace Jon in the au or I make them similarly-aged brothers.

Expand/lengthen comic arcs I like and wanted to see more of (Robin: Son of Batman in general, We Are Robin, Talon, unironically Beast Boy 2000, Streets of Gotham)

Mostly self-explanatory. I just wanted to see more of Damian/Maya. Suren hanging out and going on adventures. We Are Robin needs a longer series, Talon is one of my fav comics, and I genuinely just wanted to see more of Bette in LA in Beast Boy. I also wanted to see Colin and Damian in SoG. (Plus, there was a Ragman backup running there!)

maybe give characters who are considered part of the "Batfamily" but are usually never given their dues - a chance to be main characters (Duke Thomas) (once I actually fully research him)

Yeah. This needs development on my part. I like him a lot, I just want to understand him better and give him some screen time so to speak. If I do get around to a We Are Robin rewrite or just incorporate it somehow into a larger fic.

umm... maybe expand on al Ghul lore perhaps, and develop the League of Assassins into something functional, terrifying, and tangible

Requires further research. But I love @arabian-batboy's take on how the family names (the al Ghuls, the Orghams, the Darga) connect to Behenian stars and the idea that each star could be connected to a hypothetical family and their powers. It's just cool.

[quizzyisdone]

Bigger Than The Whole Sky | Russell Adler Oneshot

A/N: So, a little while ago I had to put my cat, Sweetheart, down. She was named ironically, because she wasn't the nicest cat, but she was my soul cat and I loved her deeply. She was the co-writer of every fic I have ever posted and even though it's been about 2 months, I so desperately miss her and to lose my co-author made writing unexpectedly very difficult. However, she was the inspiration behind these Adler headcanons, and now I would like to write one final piece to honor her memory. Enjoy! Word Count: 2k Pairing: None

Warnings: Mentions of death (animal and human), strong language, mentions of Cold War era politics, and grief

Please see this fic if you would like context behind Adler's son.

** Title inspired by Bigger Than The Whole Sky by Taylor Swift

No words appear before me in the aftermath Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness

Adler was never one to let his emotions get the better of him, to let his hands shake and his body tremble as he silently cursed God for making him play His role to his little girl. His hands trembled violently, angrily, but mostly importantly with such an agonizing grief as he shoved his keys into the ignition.

He glanced into the rear view mirror, catching a glimpse of the empty carrier in the back seat -- which had nearly broken him. Just an hour ago, there was a living being in there, now there is not. She should be in that carrier, meowing desperately to get out because of how much she hated that thing. Adler always liked to think that they had that in common -- a fear of small, enclosed spaces. 

Even if she hated it, what wouldn’t he give for her to be in that carrier once more, to hear her incessant, annoying, high pitched meows, only for her to then ignore his existence out of spite for the next day. 

As he put the clutch in reverse, he sadly laughed, musing that he had agonized less over actual people that had died under his command. When Park, before she too had died, found out about Greasy (who was so aptly named due to her dirty, ragged appearance), she had joked often how Adler had effectively replaced genuine human interaction with the company of a cat -- the least likely suspect for a man such as him.

She was right though, Adler looked nothing like the part of a man who preferred cats or even any animal for that matter. He was scarred, gruff, burly. Any onlooker would assume that if anything,  he had owned a working, military breed dog trained to fend off any home invader. While it was true he did have a fondness for the canines he worked with in Vietnam, the company of a cat was far preferable. A fact that had been true for his entire life.

He had owned many cats throughout his life, mostly thanks to his mother, who before she had passed as well all those years ago, took in any stray that came begging for food. Their quiet and hard won affection had always been a comfort when his father would turn violent during his childhood. After he grew up, it had become essential for soothing his fears during the night when he had to relive everything. 

After his mother and Adler’s own son had passed away, both of cancer, he swore up and down that he simply didn’t have the capacity to love anyone, much less an animal, so deeply. It was difficult to love anything when everything you loved eventually died.

But Greasy changed that.

__

In the months following his divorce after the death of his son, life had been exceedingly lonely, even with the sympathetic company of Sims and his wife. Days blurred together, his body constantly set in motion but his mind and heart stuck on the day he cradled his son’s body in his arms, begging no one in particular to bring back the one good thing about him. His house, which once had been lively with the pitter patter of little James and the laughter of his now ex-wife, Farah, was devastatingly quiet. The only noise was the occasional clink of yet another bottle of whiskey and the click of a lighter. 

Eventually, after months of nothingness, Adler became not necessarily content with this new dynamic, but accepting of it. He had resigned himself to a life of emptiness, simply drinking the days away when he wasn’t on assignment. It’s how everyone else turned out in his line of work anyway. He would scoff at his own naivety, thinking he could be different, that he could be happy.

God was never that kind to men like him. 

Or so he thought. 

One night, when Sims became tired of Adler losing himself in his own grief and decided to at least get him to come out of the house, they came across little Greasy. He and Sims had gone over to some dive bar which has since shut down, and after a few drinks, Adler began reminiscing again. Quick to the punch, Sims took him to Burger Town.

The one constant in their adventures, no matter where in the world they were, there was always a Burger Town. It had become a small comfort to Adler, when he became tired of local, shit cuisines or military issued MRE’s. 

There, they discussed politics, how their lives were uniquely affected by the actions of politicians, many of whom will never have to witness the consequences of their actions. From Carter to Krushchev, arms races and proxy wars (many of which the pair had taken part in), a philosophical debate ensued as if their opinions actually mattered in the grand scheme of things. 

They don’t, and it was the one thing Adler and Sims agreed on wholeheartedly. The superpowers will do as they please with little regard to their own, no matter which economic ideology they enforce. It was a fact that had once bothered them, how inconsequential they were to the pages of history, despite however much they sacrificed for it. Keyword being “once”. 

Now, it didn’t matter and they didn’t care, and there was a certain freedom in that. Yes, they were still indentured servants unto the American government, but such acceptance gave way to a certain peace of mind. Peace of mind that no matter what, they will not endure the ire or the love of future generations. 

It provided some much needed indifference to their terrible actions done in the name of patriotism.

Such a conversation, one which they had many times, was enough to get Adler’s mind off of things, and Sims felt he was emotionally stable enough to be left alone. However, on the way to the car in the parking lot, Adler heard a meek little squeak and hiss. Glancing down, a feral kitten, covered in what he could only guess was old fryer grease, was looking back at him from his feet, ears down and paralyzed in fear, much like a deer in headlights.

Adler, without much thought, picked it up, cooing and shushing it as the poor kitten began to struggle and hiss and bite. Given its size, however, it couldn’t inflict much damage to the war-hardened Russell Adler. 

“Put the goddamn cat down, Doc.” Sims had hollered from the other side of the car. Adler simply shook his head.

“It’ll die if I leave it.” He said quietly, hushing the kitten and shoving it down the front of his shirt for some warmth for such a little thing. It was the middle of February, the Boston cold had surely taken its toll on the creature.  The grease against his bare chest made Adler squirm inwardly, it was certainly an unpleasant feeling, but he ignored it for the sake of the cat.

Sims raised his hands in defeat and the two climbed into the car, on the way to Adler’s apartment. It was mostly silent, save for the constant protests from the cat and Adler’s attempt to pacify it.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.” He’d occasionally whisper and Sims would pretend not to hear. His words of comfort very closely echoed what he heard him say to Farah or James when either of them would break down. Always strong and steadfast, a staunch defender of those he loved. It was a title he hadn’t held in years, and one that was so sorely missed, as far as Sims could tell.

From the wheel, Sims looked down at the kitten, small and scrawny, a brown tabby whose fur was tousled and blue, angry eyes staring back. Call him crazy, but it reminded him of James. Eyes shrouded in blue with an unmistakable, stubborn will. Brown, wild hair that went off in all directions. At least, that’s what he had looked like before the cancer ravaged the poor toddler’s body. 

Normally, as his best and probably only real friend, Sims would’ve made fun of him for such a sudden lapse in his normal character, teasing him for going all soft. But he knew that was the one thing desperately needed in Adler’s life -- softness and the fragility that came with it. 

When the two arrived back, they went back and forth for a half hour debating names for the little thing. It was a female, so Sims offered pretty, girly names to match the wretched looking thing whilst Adler washed her in the kitchen sink, but there was not a single name that Sims offered that he thought fit her. 

“Maddie?”

“She doesn’t look like a Maddie to me.” Adler half smirked, the first Sims had seen in months.

“Lucy?” Sims suggested, and he scoffed.

“I’m not naming the cat after my dead mother.” He chuckled as Sims’ eyes went wide with embarrassment, but Adler brushed it off lightheartedly. He pulled her out of the sink, handing her to Sims who was prepared with a towel. 

She was shaking and shivering, but being as feral as she was, the kitten still kept fighting them tooth and claw. Not that such a small, defenseless thing could do much against their war hardened hands. Gingerly, Adler touched the grease mixed with fleas and dish soap that covered his sink as he went to clean it. 

“How about Greasy?” He said softly, musing at the disgusting state she was found in.

Sims guffawed. “Greasy? Now you’re just setting her up for failure.”

“It fits her.” He shrugged. 

“Greasy it is.” Sims said as he went to pat her on the head, to which she promptly bit him on the finger, drawing blood and also a laugh from Adler. A real one. One which he hadn’t heard since before James passed, since before the diagnosis. 

__

Adler, tears still in his eyes that he vehemently refused to let fall, glanced out the side of his window at a stoplight. Burger Town. He laughed dryly to himself. A cruel fucking joke from God. Or a sign he mused silently, not that Adler was the religious sort.

It was the same Burger Town where Adler and Sims had found Greasy fifteen years ago.  Without much thought, he pulled into the turn lane that led to the restaurant, muttering that he needed some comfort food after today, disregarding the sentimentality of the place. 

He hadn’t even realized he pulled into the exact spot where Sims had parked his car that night. Adler slammed the door shut, wiping his eyes and attempting to pull himself together. He ordered some fries and a milkshake and sat in their normal corner booth, pitifully shoving fries into his mouth as he gulped down the shake. Truthfully, his entire time in the restaurant was a mind-numbing blur that he couldn’t really remember.

However, he did recall that when he went back to his car, he took one last look down at the concrete, the exact spot where Adler had picked her up. It’s funny, the things he remembers and the things he can’t. Adler, for the life of him, cannot recall the color of his mother’s eyes, the model of his first car, or the name of his first girlfriend. But for whatever reason, Adler recalled, in remarkable detail, that crack in the pavement that Greasy was standing on when he first picked her up. It was raised slightly, and the imperfection in the poorly kept concrete extended about halfway through the marked parking spot, and weeds always grew along the length of it. 

In that crack, amongst the sharp and jutted weeds that grew there, there also sprouted a yellow dandelion. Adler finally let out a sob as he picked the flower, placing it gently upon Greasy’s empty carrier.

Did some bird flap its wings over in Asia? Did some force take you because I didn't pray? Every single thing to come has turned into ashes

__

To my baby girl, I loved you more than anything. You made everything better and I still struggle without you. I'm sorry I couldn't have done more to save you.

[amalgamezz]

About your aro post in your tags you said you don’t care for any loves (romantic, familial [<- I don’t feel that one too :D] etc.) does that go for friendships as well? Or are you more of a person who doesn’t care for connection at all? I hope I worded that right…

heya, thank you for this ask, and no worries, your wordings are fine! sorry, this will be a long one because my audhd demands that i should provide full contexts 😔

as i interacted and got to know more about aplatonic and loveless communities, i found a certain solidarity/kinship with them. ever since i was in elementary, friendship has never been something i actively seek myself. i still got along well with classmates. my relationships with coworkers are chill and good. i have mutuals and friendly acquaintances here and there to talk about our shared interests. i try to maintain a good relationship with my family because capitalism sucks ass, especially for single people. in a way, this, too, is how i practice relationship anarchy — to give each casual and non-casual relationship i have a function and learn to appreciate them instead of putting the burdens on one or two committed relationships. for me, friendship has become a label for happy coincidences born out of those relationships after long and frequent interactions, if both parties desire a name for it. i have some positive connections with friends who i trust with my life, and i would mourn intensively should i lose them, but tbh, im not sure if i would personally call it "love".

i was lovequeer before i am loveless. im actually still considering myself lovequeer in a way that i strongly believe that love doesnt have to be romantic and that no kind of love is superior to the other. my personal relationship with love is complicated, but mostly sour. as an aro, i am a fierce defender of non-romantic loves. it annoys me greatly when people casually throw amatonormative phrases such as "there is no platonic explanation for this" or "friends dont do that" around. it is usually a hopeless and lonely battle because people dont really care about "not all loves are romantic" until you reject the concept of love altogether. more often than not, it becomes a gotcha towards aros who express their frustration with obsession over love by society.

this frustration, too, drew me closer to the concept of lovelessness. lovelessness means different things to different people, but for me, its the rejection of love being a superior, necessary, or moral trait of a human being. i had a knee-jerk reaction at first when i learned the term, but the more i read about it and introspect, the more it resonates with me. i remember how my parents hit me when i was a kid. i remember my aunt chewed me out in front of my entire family for expressing my wish to stay single and childless. i remember being driven to tears as my dad sneakily threw out a gift from my friend that i hung on my car and replaced it with a rosary. when asked why, they said because they wanted what was best for me. because they wanted me to be happy. because they loved me. it all sounded contradictory, but i have been with them long enough to know that they were being genuine. i dont wanna think its not a real love because i dont find it useful and more often than not, it only makes me question myself if i have been a fair evaluator and get guilty when i think im not. instead, i just have to accept that good intentions dont always bring good outcomes. their love is real, but its like a sun that burns and hurts more intensively the closer i get to it. i started coming to terms with love being a neutral but strong emotional motive that drives humans to do something — just like pleasure, joy, anger, sadness, envy, etc. whether you do good, bad, or neither because of it solely depends on you. i can acknowledge that they love me, but that doesnt mean they should be able to use it as an excuse to hurt me. this applies to all kinds of love.

i have nothing against love or the people who cherish it, but as i start dissecting and understanding more about love, it becomes less and less significant in my life. i start to realise that i dont need to love someone to bring them happiness or do good for them. i dont need to love my friends to care for or emotionally support them when they need it. i dont need to love my mutuals or even strangers to consider donating for their groceries. i dont need to love the victims of war to condemn the hideous crimes committed against them by some certain govts. love doesnt make me human. i just simply am, and im happy with the loveless relationships/connections i currently have.

[villainsimpqueen]

Echoes Lost in Paradise

Chapter 11.

Adam x Reader x Eve.

18+ only, All my works and my pages are for 18 only. Minors and ageless accounts will be blocked!

"Even Darkness can consume the brightest of souls."

Chapter 11: Eve's Descend.

Yet this day wasn't marked by the death of just one being, but another as well.

Smoke and darkness wrapped around her form, tears of voidless black dripping from the hundreds to thousands of eyes covering her body and hair. The sun turned into a dark moon.

She could see nothing but the most wretched of things, her eyes all weeping, never once allowing her to close them or blink away the terrible visions that plagued her.

Their children's children, to their grandchildren, broke away from her and Adam's bloodline, becoming something else entirely. The earth's time moved forward without them, and it felt as though their teachings were being bred out of humanity.

She could only see it as a cry for help from humanity to have their parents back to guide them, to teach them, and keep them on the righteous path.

But what good could she do now that she looked so monstrous?

So the great and first mother cried her voidless tears, each eye forced to watch every sin her children and descendants condoned.

Eve was lost in her grief, terror, and mortification, trapped in her divine punishment to witness what she had allowed to overtake humanity from just one bite. So far gone was she that when a gentle hand reached into her smoky, avoidant body in a motion of comfort, it caused her to scream and twist away, her two main eyes glowing a dark, alluring red as she turned to face a woman she had once thought was an angel at their first meeting.

“You,” she hissed, the very image of the woman vexing her.

But the first created woman did little to flinch away from the second woman's anger. Her eyes filled with sadness as she moved her hand, shrunken away, to her chest with her other hand, fidgeting.

“I,” Lilith confirmed as she stared at what had become of Eve, a silence falling between them.

“Why?” Smoke wisped from her silhouetted mouth as Eve's many eyes stared at Lilith.

And the queen of the damned did not need to ask what Eve was asking.

“I was trying to save you.”

“Save me… Save me?! You told me that eating that damned thing would make me happy.”

“ It did not! I had my family ripped apart, my body torn to shreds, and experienced pain like no other.!”

“What could you have possibly saved me from?!” Eve yelled, her anger something Lilith could not fault.

Even she did not know what could satisfy the answer. When she was younger, she had believed she was saving Eve. Saving her from a life with Adam, the disappointment of knowing her existence was to be a replacement and forever Adam's wife. She had been blinded by her anger at the heavens, anger at her ex-husband, and envy that Eve seemed genuinely happy within the confines of such a small world like the gardens.

      

      She had thought Eve was alone until, after she coaxed her to bite the apple, the angels' control over her actions and mind was withdrawn. She discovered another in the gardens, another whom Eve had attached her heart to. She had spent many hours in the shadows of the gardens, hidden from the eyes above, watching Eve interact not only with the idiot supposed to be her equal but with the other.

“I am... sorry,” Lilith spoke as she moved to comfort the newly fallen woman. Despite Eve's anger, she grasped her and clung to her, seeking comfort, and Lilith gave it like an old friend should.

“I know it is not much here, but in time you will be able to call this home.” Lilith spoke softly as she moved her hand through Eve's now inky, cloudy hair, the eyes weaving around her fingers as she stared at what had become of the mother of humanity.

“I won't be here for long,” Eve spoke as she pulled away, her many eyes showing many emotions. “Adam will come gather me, and he will take me home.”

Lilith's face scrunched in distaste before she could stop herself.

“You're so faithful to him.”

“I know my husband.”

“For your sake, I hope you are right.”

Adjusting to Hell was far beyond hard for Eve. Her natural sweetness seemed to be a stain in this place, and new souls that kept appearing—she tried to reach out to her fallen children, tried to be the warm welcome in the new place they had to call home, but each warm outstretching of her hand was met with cruelty. 

The new children of humanity were nothing like how she left it and for the first time of her existence she was forced to see all of its darkness that Adam had tried to keep from her, trying to protect her and their good children from. 

She wondered how he did it, staying sane when he found what monstrosities humanity was capable of. 

She wonder if thats why some nights of their life time he had came to her and held her so tightly close, not muttering a word, and the next day she would learn he had banished another one of their children and she had been so angry at him….Now she was hunted by all their evil deeds constantly playing in her many many eyes. 

 

It was too much to walk among them, so she stayed in the home Lilith and Lucifer called their own, a grand castle that seemed to be from some fairytale, an oddly bright and wondrous thing in such a hellscape. They had welcomed her with open arms, and in her need to have some connection she had accepted and stayed with them. 

Nowadays she roamed the halls of the wonderous castle fading into the shadows and appearing, a new thing she had learned of herself in this place. Wherever there was darkness one of her many eyes could form and there she could appear in silhouettes of smokey shadows.

Her very concept of being a solid being had no meaning, for her body could form anywhere in shadows if she wished, vaporizing and appearing in a blink of an eye. 

Yet the castle of hell is where she roamed the most, her favorite place was the garden, how it stung her with irony when she would appear in it from the shadows of trees. 

She had once wanted to escape a garden, and now it's a garden she wanted to stay in. 

But she would sit there in the shades of the trees and stare up at hell's red false sky, in the distance she could see a faint golden ring. 

Heaven so taunting above them all, its ring like a large eye keeping an eye on them. 

As they always had. 

She would stare at it as if mocking it as if it was her watching it not the other way around, but her mind would drift from bitter thoughts to wondering what Adam was doing up there. 

He wasn't down here with her, he would have found her by now. 

that she knew with all of her heart. 

So she knew he had to be up there, in heaven once more.

She wondered when he would come for her, as he had promised. 

She wondered if you were there by his side, abiding in him in pleading to heaven to bring her to both of your arms. 

Being a creature to fade and appear in the shadows had its advantages, We've discovered. 

No one truly knows you're there unless the feeling of being watched creeps up their spins making them turn their heads to a particularly shadowy area only to see nothing but an eye. 

The sinners had begun to call her many appearing and leering distant forms “Hells eyes” which she thought was something silly that the new humanity had gotten from Adam so, so very long ago. 

But being able to not seem to be in places and with eyes everywhere watching and hearing, news truely travels fast and the mother of humanity learned that with certain knowledge on others, the power you can hold over them ... .And it was a fascinating thing to have power over someone. 

“LILY YOU'RE GOING TO FAR!”

“I haven't even gone as far as I wish yet.”

“They're not going to respond well to these Lil's! They will get angry and they will make us face punishment again-”

“You only back down like a coward when you fear to be in trouble! Hell is growing more and more by the year, we have so many sinners. Take a look outside for Lucifer! I am making a kingdom, a dynasty! Heaven may turn their eyes on these children but I have encouraged them to grow to build! Faster than what the heavens could only hope to do!” 

“WHY CANT YOU EVER JUST BE SATISFIED WITH WHAT YOU HAVE!?” 

“....”

“I suppose an angel will never understand a human's mind.” 

“Lils ... .Lilith wait!” 

trouble in paradise. 

Eve faded away as she faintly heard the doors to a room slam open, the sharp clacking of heels storming down a hall and the rushed pacing of boots and fluttering of melting wings following. 

How ironic. 

And should she ever feel the desire to input herself into the meddlings of another marriage like had done to her, well, it's not like she could fall any lower. 

but for now she watched, and she learned. 

Mother of Demons.

That is what Lilith made herself to be, taking in the role to raise the sinners, to organize them and lead them, encourage them and even went as far as babied them in Eve's eyes.

Making nothing but spoiled brats. 

Lilith has even started to put it in the minds of many of her self proclaimed ‘childrens’ minds that Hell could rise up above heaven and be humanity's perfect afterlife.

Perhaps Lilith felt this was the only way to ever gove a mothers love, Perhaps that is why she was blinded to see how god fucking awful these sinners were.

Eve sometimes could not believe someone she thought was so bright was being entirely foolish, praising and encouraging those that deserved to rot. 

Did she know the one she was comforting had brutally murdered a child

The ones she said belonged above, was a woman killer?

Or those she was sitting down in a meeting to form leaders among ‘Hell city’ the current ring was named were all murderers, rapists, liars, abusers?

Eve had pitied her so-called old friend. 

Cursed by the heavens above to never be able to bear children on her own and now she goes to mother the most damned, questionable and disgusting souls that could ever exist. 

Eve was not surprised when Heaven called for action, summoning Lucifer and his damned wife to discuss what to do with Hell's alarming growing rate. 

“I wish to come.” Eve had demanded as both the two rulers of hell rushed to make themselves look elegant, such a funny thing to do in a place like this. 

Both had seemingly tensed at her words.

“We believe it's best if you stay here dear friend,” Lilith spoke, moving towards her and placing a hand on her shadowy vaporized shoulder.

“We do not know how Heaven will react upon seeing how humanity's mother has become and right now We need to be judged in equal light to them.”

Eve had simply stared at her, so many eyes moving and blinking the longer she stared at the first woman, the more she noticed many things.

How the upturn inner lips twitched ready to fall.

The hidden look of repulsion behind those sift palen eyes.

Small twitching of hands that shows the first woman's nerves slowly being cooked.

Eve felt her lips move widening to a smile that stretched fully across her face and tilted her head towards her oh so dear old friend.

“We?” Eve hummed eyes moving yo look at the deformed melting mess that had once been a great holy being that was pacing and melting more behind his wife. 

Others watching how Lilith had stiffened and stood more taller as some birds pathetic way of making oneself bigger, But Eve had long since seen that arrows and blades can prove a bigs display to be, 

Weak. 

Eve had simply straightened her grin still so stretched out and wide.

“Well I suppose you make a point.” Eve had hummed out in a cheery tone moving and appearing all around Lilith.

“Do give the heavens my best hellos.” 

Extermination 

That had been heaven's decision, No it had been her husband's decision. 

One that had both the fallen deformity of an angel weeping and the raging unclass from the first woman. Eve simply watched them both, sitting on what they call a throne watching them with a palm towards her cheek. 

“I should have come.” She simply called her her cheery warm tone making the first woman bristle and turn to her glaring eyes no longer pale blue but an unsightly blazing red. Or perhaps they would have been unsightly if everything down in the pit of misery wasn't already such a deep red. 

“You mock us!?” Lilith seethed, causing Eve to smile and move, getting up and appearing beside the first woman.

“No, Not at all dear friend, afterall I know my husband.” Eve hummed and let out a giggle as she willed herself to fade away

“How else would Adam get to hell?”

[limeade-l3sbian]

sorry yea meant to write twd, as in the walking dead 😭 english isn’t my first language so i often accidentally replace w with v without thinking since we don’t really use w where i’m from lmao

anyways my rant was that rick x michonne was done so dirty. they were both my favorite characters so a romance between the two SHOULD have felt epic for me, but it just fell flat. rick went from being deranged and infatuated with that blonde lady who he knew for all of two seconds with the abusive husband one second and then, with no lead up beyond their friendship and great ability to work together, the next second rick and michonne are having a romantic moment, which correct me if i remember wrong, immediately led to sex and then the next day they were just an item??? and like i know the show ain’t a romance show. i’m prolly dumb for fixating rn. but it annoyed me so bad bc it felt sooo rushed. here we have pivotal characters with loads of interactions, but the show didn’t think it would be a good idea to like build some romance before just jumping us all with it? the way the pacing was done made it seem like rick just settled for michonne bc blonde lady was with her husband and i dunno. i wanted something more epic for michonne 😭 either that or just leave the romance out. like it wasn’t necessary? they could have had a continued great partnership without it being romantic in my eyes.

OH YOU ARE CORRECT ANON, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.

No, TWD is not a romance show but it does have romantic elements. We get glimpses into their lives. It is, in fact, a facet of the show. Retaining the aspects of what it means to be human while fighting and dealing with grosser and grosser looking walkers.

That whole romance with Jessie was so rushed and such bullshit. I genuinely don't know what they were thinking. There should have been more moments of side glances between Michonne and Rick and if they were deadset on having Jessie (blonde woman) be a sort of character who has the offer of romance to Rick, we should have seen him be conflicted.

Why conflicted? He and Michonne aren't even an item. They've never seen shared words with one another that could be mistaken for a second as romantic. And Jessie is beautiful, so why is hesitating? Why did he think of Michonne the moment Jessie tries to kiss him? He leaves the house but swears to Jessie that its not her fault, he just has to get up early tomorrow morning to meet with Deanna (it's a lie).

The next few days, we see him and Michonne, the de facto sheriffs of Alexandria spending more time together. Maybe Deanna makes a passive comment that can't be determined to be intentional or genuinely inquiring. She says something like, "That Michonne is a tough one. A lot of strength in those eyes. I can see why you two are so drawn to each other." Rick turns to her, a tempered look of incredulity on his face as he says, "We're not..." He pauses, as Deanna raises a natural thin, brow, waiting for him to finish his sentence. Rick holds her gaze, unsure if she was implying something or if, again, she had truly misconstrued a situation that he himself could not define.

He glances down, sniffing a moment before grunting, "It's not like that."

Deanna changes the subject, transitioning with a simple, "At any rate..."

But the conversation stays with Rick. It frames every conversation that he has with Michonne after that moment. Every time Michonne looks at him, he hears his conflicted statement: "It's not like that."

When he sees Jessie again, she apologizes for crossing a line. He nods, but he doesn't say anything.

And then blah blah blah all the plot shit, Michonne and Rick have their time in front of the fire and kiss.

[gellavonhamster]

shadow and bone s2 (ugh)

In a few words: script bad, cast good, I have Opinions and you will hear them (but maybe don’t read this if you genuinely loved this season, I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade)

In more than few words:

the bad:

taking so many books and stuffing them all into eight episodes was decidedly not a good idea. It’s rushed. It also ruins all hopes for a more or less book-accurate Crows storyline that the Helnik part of s1 had me harbouring, because so much of Crooked Kingdom has already been used

it is not enough to reproduce a moment from the books on screen if the context which made that moment powerful in the books is lost. An example would be “Goodbye, Aleksander” - no one knows his name in the books, it’s the final moment of humanity allowed the man behind the villain, but there’s nothing surprising about this address in the show - but there were many such cases

I realize that some levity is needed and the books aren’t completely serious either, but some of the funny ha ha stuff felt so unnecessary... like when that one follower of the Darkling says something like “uh-oh” when she notices a grenade is about to explode next to her. MCU disease

there was something off about Kanej this season. I don’t think he pushed her away that much in the books. This is slipping into the more stereotypical “you’re better off without me!!” territory, which is not really what they were in the books

why the hell is Heleen dead? Inej should be the one to destroy her - it’s her nemesis, the Pekka Rollins to her Kaz, she deserves that

also, why the hell was Dunyasha replaced with some random creepy guy? I don’t even like Dunyasha, but I enjoy the dark twin thing she and Inej had. It felt important

speaking of the characters I don’t even like that still deserved better treatment, all of the Darkling’s scenes were so boring to me this season. Boring ass cliché villain lines... it’s like this was made for TV and they needed some parts when the audience can go to the bathroom

Jesper and Wylan = big cringe :( those slutty bisexuals can never remember who they sleep with, amirite

do NOT like Tolya apparently developing a crush on Inej, he’s as aroace in the books as it can get in a universe where such terms haven’t been invented yet. They better do NOT erase that

the good:

the cast continues to be perfect. They’re taking the mediocre script they’re saddled with and making it better with their skills, chemistry, and charm. I love everyone in this bar

Nikolai! I’m trying to remember why I was unsure about this casting at first and can’t, but in any case, I was wrong - he was very good. Properly charming and annoying, with a touch of the boy king and a touch of the Too-Clever Fox, just the way it should be

the small interactions between the Crows like Jesper hugging Inej or Nina and Kaz having to pretend to be a couple made me happy

Jesper’s poison-induced hallucination might’ve been predictable, but I loved seeing him and his mom together, loved Aditi in general

the BEE!!! Yeah, that was some good foreshadowing

Genya and David were one of the best things about this season, I love them so much

the mixed bag:

I was really glad I saw spoilers about David’s death in advance because otherwise I might’ve punched the screen, but then I watched the last two episodes and... no one warned me the body wasn’t found? Come on, it’s fantasy, if the body wasn’t found, it usually means something. A Twitter mutual of mine suggested the Darkling might come back in David’s body, which I would not like to happen, but otherwise I am pretty excited about the possibility of some kind of Came Back Wrong (or - dare I hope - even a happy ending?..). Of course, he dies at a later point in the books, but the showrunners have admitted that what they’re making is essentially fanfiction, and saving the character expected to die is a very fanfiction thing to do. The problem is, their fic hasn’t been particularly good so far. Still, I am very curious about how this is gonna turn out

I am one of the few people who think TGT had a good and appropriate ending, but show!Alina is different enough from book!Alina for me to believe the changed ending works well. Show!Alina has definitely suffered, but she’s still seen less death and pain than book!Alina (no execution of Ana Kuya; no death of Botkin either, as far as I recall; no Harshaw; no Fedyor dying; Marie’s death is less brutal and doesn’t happen in front of her eyes, etc.), she didn’t spend as much time underground, she wasn’t as manipulated by the Apparat in addition to the Darkling. She’s also much more ambitious and eager to be a leader. It makes sense for book!Alina to want a quiet life where no one would bother her anymore, but it also makes sense for show!Alina to take an active part in reforming Ravka. And it also makes sense for Mal to want to find out to what extent his feelings for Alina were real and what was just amplifier stuff, to find his own path now that there is no predestination for him. I do believe Malina will be endgame in the show as well, because the showrunners are planning to adapt the Nikolai duology too, which means Zoyalai and Zoya as the queen, but I have no idea how it all is going to happen

it looks like we’re going to see dark!Alina, which could be interesting! Alas, I don’t trust the writers of this show to make a good job of it

not gonna lie, the idea that Sturmhond is a title one can pass on like Dread Pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride is funny af

I saw a tweet pointing out that it makes sense for Inej to “train” on  Sturmhond’s ship before captaining her own ship later, and on the one hand, I agree, but on the other hand, how are they going to bring her back for the Ice Court Heist if she’s already at sea

[esavvysolution]

Digital Diplomacy: Mastering Social Media for Business Growth

In the digital age, businesses are presented with a unique opportunity to connect with their audience like never before. Digital diplomacy, a term borrowed from international relations, is now being applied in the business world. It refers to the strategic use of digital platforms to foster meaningful relationships, establish credibility, and promote growth. In this article, we'll delve into how mastering social media can be a game-changer for businesses aiming for substantial growth.

The Role of Social Media in Business Growth

Social media has become the epicenter of online communication. It's where people gather, share, and connect. For businesses, it's a treasure trove of potential customers. With billions of active users across various platforms, the reach is immense. Understanding how to harness this power is pivotal for any business looking to expand its horizons.

Understanding Your Target Audience

To effectively use social media for business growth, you need to know your audience inside out. What are their preferences? What problems do they face? What solutions can your business provide? Tailoring your content and messaging to suit their needs is the first step towards creating a lasting impression.

Creating Engaging Content

Content is king in the digital world. But not just any content will do. It needs to be engaging, relevant, and valuable. Whether it's captivating visuals, informative articles, or interactive videos, the content you produce should resonate with your audience.

Leveraging Different Social Media Platforms

Each social media platform has its unique audience and features. Understanding which platforms align with your target demographic and business goals is crucial. From the visual allure of Instagram to the professional network of LinkedIn, mastering the art of platform-specific content is a key component of digital diplomacy.

Building a Consistent Brand Image

Consistency is key when it comes to branding. Your messaging, visuals, and tone should all align seamlessly. This builds trust and recognition among your audience. When they see your content, they should immediately associate it with your brand.

Monitoring and Analyzing Performance

It's not enough to just post content. Monitoring the performance of your posts and campaigns provides valuable insights. Which posts are gaining traction? What time of day is your audience most active? These metrics inform your strategy moving forward.

Handling Negative Feedback

In the digital landscape, negative feedback is inevitable. How you handle it can make or break your brand. Addressing concerns promptly and professionally demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Collaborations with influencers or complementary businesses can exponentially expand your reach. It's a powerful way to tap into new audiences and build credibility.

Paid Advertising Strategies

While organic reach is valuable, paid advertising can give you an extra boost. Understanding the nuances of ad targeting, placement, and messaging can make a significant impact on your ROI.

Measuring Return on Investment (ROI)

Investing time and resources into social media should yield results. Tracking your ROI helps you understand the effectiveness of your efforts. It's a critical step in refining your strategy for optimal growth.

Staying Updated with Trends

The digital landscape is ever-evolving. Staying updated with the latest trends ensures that your content remains relevant and appealing to your audience.

Crisis Management on Social Media

In times of crisis, social media can be a powerful tool for damage control. Having a well-thought-out crisis management plan in place is essential for preserving your brand's reputation.

Balancing Automation and Personalization

Automation can streamline your social media efforts, but it should never replace genuine human interaction. Striking the right balance ensures that your audience feels valued and heard.

Conclusion

Mastering social media for business growth is a dynamic process that requires strategy, creativity, and adaptability. By understanding your audience, creating compelling content, and leveraging the power of various platforms, you can unlock unprecedented potential for your business.

[factiousfcrged]

so there's something that i want to touch on that's been reiterated a bunch to me in the rereading of a couple of the expanse books when it comes to amos and the way he comes off to others. mostly this applies to those who don't know him that well, strangers, first time people are meeting him or those that just meet him a few times without a lot of time for actual interactions.

this is something that is described by several of the people in his crew even after being part of his friends / crew for decades, they just are used to it and recognize that there's a lot more to him than just what might be first assumptions, but it is still something that they notice sometimes as that odd little bit unsettling but it's just amos being amo type thing and they're just used to it.

it does depend on the situation - if amos is used to being around someone and is being his authentic self, there are genuine smiles and laughs, but a lot of the times when dealing with strangers or people he doesn't know well, the smile that he offers as a blanket 'yeah everything's fine why do you ask' type smile very much gives off that 'uncanny valley' feeling.

this stems from a very specific memory from his childhood, which you can read about in his chapter in the expanse origins comics, where his friend in the orphanage that he was put in after his mother was killed has just come back from his first night of being rented out by the orphanage 'den mother'. he gives amos the oni pin (the one that we see amos wearing for 90% of the show until he loses it in the jail collapse on earth, until peaches makes a replacement pin - he also has a tattoo of it that he's had since the start of the show) and tells amos, 'just keep smiling' -- and then takes a bottle of pills and kills himself, with the panel ending with amos holding the pin in his hand, staring at his friend, with that fake smile plastered on his face.

this was one of the foundational building blocks / core memories of his childhood and something that he calls back to often. just keep smiling. the problem comes in where, after a certain age, he shuts down a lot of his emotions as a defense mechanism and he never really quite learns how to turn most of them on again, so this 'smile' that he offers when he's trying to make everyone think that he's fine, or that is kind of his default expression for when he's stuck in a loop, or isn't sure how he's supposed to react, doesn't have any real connection to 'happy' or even 'congenial' it's just a smile that very much doesn't belong on his face in that moment and doesn't have any real emotion behind it.

those that aren't really great at reading strangers might take it at face value, but the majority of people have enough capability to read human expression and body language to the point that some part of them recognizes that there is a disconnect and that there's something unrealistic or not quite human in that smile and in the way his eyes and body language and everything else don't match up with it. one of the best examples i can give from the show is that look that we see on his face when murtry punches him and he has the wild feral wrath in his eyes and that bloody smile right before the camera pans off before he pummels murtry near to death.

while in most circumstances that animal ferocity and blood isn't actually part of the smile that he shows to people ... most people sense that there's that part of him inside of him that should be showing the feral snarl but instead there's just this empty eyes and this placid smile, ie, a general sense of 'something's wrong here' ie, the uncanny valley feel.

so in short, yes, it is very possible that your character may feel uneasy or feel like they're being backed into a corner etc. even if amos is being seemingly congenial or placid if that's how you want to play it bc a lot of people are going to pick up on that sense of just, something being off, if you want them to!

[badmusejail]

F - Friend - What kind of friend are they? How do they judge potential friends? Where do they draw the line between platonic and romantic relationships? How far would they go for a friend? How do they handle conflict in relationships?

G - Growing - How have they changed over time? How has their self-image changed? Are they more or less of a risk-taker? Has their approach to romance changed?

For Giovanni :D

Headcanon A-Z F - Friend - What kind of friend are they? How do they judge potential friends? Where do they draw the line between platonic and romantic relationships? How far would they go for a friend? How do they handle conflict in relationships?

I've talked a before about how Giovanni has problems forming meaningful relationships. It's not really something he's consciously aware of, but he has a tendency to think of people as roles rather than as the people themselves. This is why he was able to lead Team Rocket with such ruthless efficiency, but it's also a tendency that goes both ways--he struggles to bond with the actual person behind the traits and struggles to believe that people actually bond with him instead of just what he represents.

Ergo, he was able to abandon Team Rocket so easily because he never believed that the people's loyalty was to Giovanni and not to The Boss of Team Rocket.

This is important because it really highlights how he interacts with the world and is the background for any potential friendships; because to Giovanni, people are inherently replaceable, and that's both the people he interacts with, and himself to them. This makes it extremely difficult for him to truly bond with people as friends, to the point that he's not sure if he's ever had someone he'd consider a real friend.

It's probably not much of a surprise that Giovanni doesn't go out in the world to make friends. Even back when he was a better person, he was more of an independent person, wo avoided close relationships when possible, again because he had no real comprehension of what a friendship was like. Nowadays, he'll 'make friends', but its more for the purpose of networking and for the chance of being able to use someone and get the favor returned if he ever needs them for something.

Sometimes, though, Giovanni will hang around with someone because he genuinely likes them. After all, he's still human and believes he should live life to his fullest enjoyment--he just fails to bond with people on a deep level or believe that anyone would ever truly bond with him.

As a friend, he's very much irritating in a calm, charming sort of way, the sort of friendly insults followed immediately with a grin and 'you know I love you.' He pokes and prods for reactions and prefers company that can withstand the full force of his personality and even take a few swings back.

He prefers companions that can think independently and understand that there's more complexity in the world than simply good and evil. They don't necessarily have to agree with him in his pursuits, but the respect and understanding that Team Rocket is more than just a strictly evil organization is necessary for any sort of strong bond.

Platonic and romantic are meaningless words to him, and he finds the world's obsession with the distinction to be childish. Sometimes interactions are more platonic; sometimes they lean more romantic; ultimately it doesn't matter so long as everyone involved is happy.

He's a highly empathetic man who and he'll go to great lengths to appease those few he considers his friends. Though it might seem counterintuitive given Giovanni's character, its important to remember that it's less that he's looking out for their best interests, but more that he's protecting his interests. When his friends are happy, he's happy, and that's what's important to him. Giovanni is more than willing to throw his outrageous wealth at his friends, and more often than not, he's a 'silent problem solver,' that is, problems that his friends have tend to mysteriously resolve themselves.

However, perhaps tragically, the one thing Giovanni would never give up for a friend (or partner) is his ambition. He'll always strive for more in life, he'll always be wanting the next thing. This doesn't have to mean Team Rocket or any criminal activities, but he's a restless, opportunistic individual who will always be moving onto the next target, and if that means leaving behind the people he loves, then so be it.

Giovanni believes that a certain amount of conflict is healthy; that without some degree of turmoil, life grows stagnant and that which is stagnant risks dying off. He's a masterful problem solver, and even though his behavior is mostly self-serving, his charisma and empathy make it easy for people to think he genuinely cares and works well for smoothing over issues. He has no qualms admitting fault and apologizing when he's done something wrong, even if its only to keep peace.

G - Growing - How have they changed over time? How has their self-image changed? Are they more or less of a risk-taker? Has their approach to romance changed?

In many ways, Giovanni is a muse that embodies change, he represents and embraces change and the differences it brings, and this is especially apparent when he's alongside Professor Rowan, who tends to represent tradition and consistency.

And yet, in many ways, I think it's inaccurate to say that Giovanni himself has changed, but rather his relationship to himself and his place in the world has changed.

His time as an Elite Four was incredibly unhealthy for him, as he forced himself to strive for standards that were difficult at best and impossible at worst that in many cases he didn't even personally believe in.

Creating Team Rocket gave him a chance to break away from those expectations, a chance to figure out who he was outside of the Marianelle's star child, the Elite Four member.

He began to see and respect himself for who he really was rather than the person he was trying to force himself to be.

Then again, when he was defeated by Red, he changed again, reevaluated his decisions and the fact that he was holding onto his hatred and existing in a way that was not only unhealthy but also unfulfilling.

So he allowed himself to step away and be free.

Over the years, he's become much less of a risk-taker, as he began to value his life and became less willing to sacrifice himself for something he felt was foolish. He learned how to be calculated and precise, to maximize efficiency.

Finally, romance. His approach to romance has changed a lot, too--to the point that when he was in the Elite Four, he wouldn't really get involved in it at all, as he felt his own desires were less important than the world as a whole.

Then, when he created Team Rocket; he felt almost as though he had to do so; he rushed into it; married someone that wasn't the perfect fit for him. That's not to say he regrets it or thinks poorly of Ariana--it's actually quite the contrary; he thinks that change and growth is natural, and thinks that divorce shouldn't have such a negative connotation. Again, he acts in his own best interest in health; creating and breaking relationships as needed. Nowadays, he's a lot more casual with his relationships.

Change is inevitable; challenge is a necessity for growth, and Giovanni has learned to embrace it.

[jcmarchi]

Navigating the World of AI While Building Authentic Business Relationships

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/navigating-the-world-of-ai-while-building-authentic-business-relationships/

Navigating the World of AI While Building Authentic Business Relationships

Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving faster than anyone could have imagined. From enhancing productivity to improving decision-making and creativity, AI in the workplace is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a fundamental part of our daily lives. According to Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trend Index, three-quarters of all employees (75%) are now using AI at work in some capacity.

But while AI is increasingly prevalent in our interactions, it’s important to ask: are we building or eroding relationships in the process? AI may excel at many things—processing data, finding patterns, predicting outcomes—but it lacks the emotional intelligence that forms the bedrock of human relationships. As the world becomes more reliant on AI to communicate, fostering genuine human connections requires a level of intentionality and adaptation that algorithms simply can’t provide.

If we can navigate this new landscape where AI assists (but doesn’t dominate) our communication, we stand a better chance of cultivating deeper, more meaningful relationships that can drive real business impact. The organizations that thrive in an AI-driven world will be those that balance the efficiency of technology with the irreplaceable value of empathy, active communication, and gratitude.

Building Genuine Relationships in the Age of AI

AI has already woven itself into the fabric of business. From streamlining operations to optimizing decision-making, it offers tangible benefits:

Improved decision making

Reduced human error

Increased productivity

In fact, AI is projected to manage 85% of business relationships with customers by 2024. On paper, this sounds great—efficiency! Consistency! No more dropped balls! But here’s the thing: AI, despite all its prowess, will never replace the messy, nuanced, and deeply human aspects of relationships. Algorithms can’t build trust or loyalty; they can’t provide the comfort of an empathetic ear, or offer a fresh perspective that cuts against the grain.

AI can support relationships, but it can’t create them. It’s better to think of AI as a tool to handle the mundane tasks—the scheduling, the data entry, the follow-up emails—freeing up time for professionals to focus on what really matters: building authentic, human relationships. In the end, these are the relationships that foster loyalty, inspire trust, and ultimately, drive revenue.

Balancing Technology with Authenticity

The danger, of course, is that professionals could come to rely too much on AI for the wrong things. If all your customer interactions are outsourced to an algorithm, don’t be surprised when your customers start to feel like they’re just talking to a robot.

That’s why it’s critical to balance AI’s efficiency with authenticity. Here are a few strategies to help:

Personalization with Purpose: AI is great at analyzing data and surfacing insights about customer preferences. Use this to your advantage by personalizing interactions—but always keep the human touch. People can tell when they’re on the receiving end of a templated message, no matter how personalized it seems on the surface.

Human Oversight Is Key: AI-generated content, while fast and often helpful, can sometimes feel robotic or insincere. If you’re using AI to draft an email, make sure to review it and add a personal touch. This is especially important when dealing with sensitive topics or high-value customers, where an overly mechanical message can do more harm than good.

Continuous Learning: Just as AI evolves, so too must the professionals using it. Stay curious, embrace AI’s growing capabilities, but also be mindful of when it’s time to bring in a human perspective. Not every task or interaction should be automated.

Never Lose the Human Touch: AI might be able to remember that your client has a dog, but only you can seize that moment to ask about their weekend hiking with their dog, leading to a genuine connection. Empathy, active listening, and true engagement will always trump the best algorithmic prediction.

In short, AI can make our work lives easier, but it’s our responsibility to make sure it doesn’t turn our relationships into a series of automated transactions.

Transparency When Using AI

Another important consideration is how transparent businesses are when using AI in their customer relationships. Trust is a cornerstone of any successful relationship, and that trust can quickly erode if people feel like they’re being tricked or misled by AI.

According to PwC, 93% of business executives believe that building and maintaining trust improves the bottom line, and 94% say they face challenges when it comes to building trust with stakeholders. Unfortunately, trust in AI is trending in the opposite direction. A recent Edelman report revealed that trust in AI and the companies developing it has dropped from 50% to 35% in the last five years.

It’s not hard to understand why. AI, when left unchecked, can lead to unintended consequences—biased algorithms, security concerns, ethical lapses. The American Psychological Association has warned that biased algorithms can promote discrimination and inaccurate decision-making, potentially causing harm. The more AI is seen as a “black box” of inscrutable decision-making, the harder it becomes to trust it.

So how do you use AI responsibly while maintaining trust? Transparency. Let your clients and colleagues know when AI is part of the equation, and reassure them that human oversight remains a priority. People need to know that AI isn’t making decisions in isolation, and that there’s a human being accountable for the outcomes.

A Hybrid Approach to Success

At the end of the day, business is still all about relationships. AI can enhance productivity and make our work more efficient, but it should never replace the authentic human connections that drive success. By strategically integrating AI into workflows—while prioritizing the human touch—business professionals can have the best of both worlds.

As AI continues to evolve, it may eventually serve as a helpful assistant that can mimic aspects of human relationships. But, much like you wouldn’t outsource your entire workload to a human assistant, you shouldn’t outsource relationship-building entirely to AI. It defeats the purpose.

Embrace AI for what it is: a tool that can help you be more efficient. But when it comes to relationships, keep them genuine, keep them human. It’s what will set you—and your business—apart in an increasingly automated world.