#it works both ways...it's a way for us to gain insight on them by having them related to the behavior of POV characters

[fromtheseventhhell]

Renly had seemed anxious to know if the girl reminded him of anyone, and when Ned had no answer but a shrug, he had seemed disappointed. The maid was Loras Tyrell's sister Margaery, he'd confessed, but there were those who said she looked like Lyanna. "No," Ned had told him, bemused. (Eddard VI, AGOT)

This is literally people in fandom trying to make shallow connections between Lyanna and [X character] and presenting them as equally important as parallels drawn directly in the text. In fact, this coming after Ned tells Arya she reminds him of Lyanna (in looks and behavior) feels like George cementing the importance of their likeness. Other characters might have passing similarities to Lyanna, but Arya's parallels are much more meaningful than that and are being highlighted for a reason.

[the-muppet-joker]

could you elaborate on your choices for the 4 horsemen for the ponies? i’m deeply curious about your wisdom and insight

Very well.

Famine = Luna

Both are black horses

When Nightmare Moon takes over, there is no sun. Crops cannot grow under these conditions. Her reign is a reign of famine and no harvest.

Additionally, in the episode Cutie Re-Mark, it is shown that under Nightmare Moon's domain, Timberwolves roam free. While they are not directly tied to famine, they have symbolism regarding Harvest as they are known to howl at the first zap apple and attack those who try to harvest them if they are nearby, hindering people's ability to gather fruit.

War = Cadance

Naturally, a pony red with the blood of those slain in war is generally not marketable to little girls, who are unfamiliar with bloodlust and afraid of violence. They settled for a close second: pink.

She is the princess of love. Are you familiar with the phrase "all is fair in love and war?" Wars are acts of passion and bloodshed. Passion? Blood? Both symbolically related to the Heart. And what is her cutie mark as well as the sacred object that gives power to her kingdom? The Crystal Heart.

The Crystal Kingdom, Cadance's kingdom, is frequently under threat of was throughout the series. Queen Crysalis and the Changelings. Sombra. Again, in the episode Cutie Re-Mark, we see a timeline im which Sombra had won. And what is the state of Equestria? A mirror fucking image of how other countries in real life are affected by war. We literally have soldiers Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash and we see Apple Jack working tirelessly to ship out apple mush to feed soldiers for the war effort. This parallel is so clear and frankly I could go on.

Conquest = Celestia

Yes I know the image says strife. I wanted the pictures to be in a consistant style and they used the word strife but it says conquest in the Bible. Anyways, they are both white horses.

I mean. Do I need to spell it out? Celestia is an imperialist. She spreads her and her nation's influence and ideology as far as she is able. Cadance is installed as the leader of the Crystal Empire under her direction. They have conflict with the changelings, so they promote a leader more sympathetic to their nation. The school of friendship? Teaching other species the way to act and behave? Are non-ponies unfamiliar with friendship? Propoganda. And she is the Princess of the Sun. THE SUN. NEVER. SETS. ON. EQUESTRIA'S. EMPIRE. Sound familiar?

Do not make an enemy of Celestia or you will be punished and then brainwashed into submission. Luna? The moon. Discord? Stone. Sombra? Tirek? The list goes on. Again, I feel this is a clear parallel that needs little explanation.

Death = Twilight Sparkle

Indeed this is the most subtle connection. After all, she is not even close to the right color. She is purple! No relation to death whatsoever........ right? WRONG. In the Catholic faith, the calandar is divided into different seasons with associated colors. Purple is the color of death and mourning; priests will exclusively wear purple robes for mass during Lent to symbolize Christ's suffering and death on the cross.

Twilight has a very important role as she and her friends are the bearers of the elements of harmony, with Twilight in the lead. The power of this clearly escalates throughout the series, as the mane six progress from turning Discord to stone to completely destroying Sombra after he is initially resurrected. We watch them become a force that could take away anyone's life force, Twilight especially. And let's not forget the form the elements later take. The tree of harmony. Reminiscent of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, from which humanity committed its first sin and thus were kicked out of Eden, gaining the ability to die.

Twilight will outlive all of her friends. As an allicorn, she is immortal. We see in the last episode that she is in her prime while all of her friends are elderly. How can one be a Princess of Friendship if she sees all her friends to the ends of their lives like a benevolent Reaper? After so many years of standing at the deathbeds of loved ones, she will feel detatched from others. A Princess of Death.

And yes Flurryheart is the fifth Princess but she is a clear allagory for the Antichrist so I did not include her

[lafaiette]

I've seen some people ask for comparisons between Pen's Chinese and English lines, so I made a small compilation to show the biggest changes that most baffled me.

There is a kind Chinese player, Yu, who offered the fandom much of the info and insight contained in this post, and she was the first to shed light on these differences! Without her enthusiasm, I doubt people would have started investigating Pen's original lines ;_;

Under the read more because this is long!

Brief premise: the Chinese dialogues in the game are often less "harsh" than the English ones. For example, Qi can sound rude and condescending in English, while he's pretty polite, if not a bit aloof, in Chinese. Justice's lines in English rely on the typical "hey pardner" cowboy accent, while in Chinese he's very professional, almost overly so.

That said, the English writer who worked on Pen made it no mystery that he based his characterization of Pen on Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. There is even a line directly referencing the movie: "[...] when I was a boy I ate four dozen eggs every morning to help me get large. Now that I'm grown I have five dozen eggs [...]"

As such, English Pen sounds much different from Chinese Pen. He's more patronizing and rude, and the writer added stuff that it's simply not present in the Chinese text. So while in English Pen can sound like a knucklehead obsessed only with muscles and training, surrounded by adoring women and fans when in Duvos, in Chinese he shows a different, almost more innocent side, as if he were a very tall and big child who has never had a day of legitimate and healthy fun in his life (and that's carried across in some of the English lines - that's why his English version is a bit contradicting sometimes).

Here are some examples:

One of his lines as a Good Friend is:

Here it's implied that Pen gives the Builder a hard time not only to push them to improve themselves... but also because he likes doing it, referencing his friendship mission where he admits he doesn't like teaching people anything, he just wants to fight them.

Meanwhile, the Chinese version says:

I keep calling you a weakling just to urge you and encourage you to exercise hard and break through your limits. If you won't have me to protect you in the future, you will have to become an eagle for me!

Here "eagle" is a reference to the way Pen calls the Builder in Chinese: 小弱鸡 "little weakling/little chicken" - and the latter is a rude way to call someone in Chinese, especially if they are a man and the "chicken" character (鸡) is repeated twice (but 鸡 by itself is also slang for "female prostitute"... so if you want to read it that way, Pen can call the Builder "my little slut" when in a relationship. HEH.)

In any case the tone in this line of dialogue is much different from the one in English, and Pen sounds genuinely enthusiastic.

Another example:

At the start of the game, Pen asks the Builder to craft a Sword and Shield for Burgess, who apparently misplaced his own. It turns out Burgess hid them under his bed, so when the Builder tries to give the weapons they crafted to Pen, he will tell them to keep them.

As usual, the English version is mocking and patronizing ("Hah! That'd be rich!"). In the Chinese version, Pen first compliments the desert:

In this case, take it back and use it for yourself! Use it to explore the desert and fight those monsters - what a thrill! The desert is very dangerous, but it is also full of charm.

Then there is the line about Logan and his band:

Hey! Maybe you can still find traces of Logan's gang! If you subdue them, you will gain both fame and fortune! [Okay, see you next time] [not shown here]

Now, some romance stuff : >

This is the description for the Robo-Love Couch. In English it says:

Meanwhile the Chinese description:

Referred to as the "Love Sand Machine", Peng Hu specially built a loving sofa for you, pieced together from the remains of robot monsters in the ruins.

He specially built a loving sofa for the Builder. It seems like a silly detail, but wording is important!

And yes, Pen's full name is Peng Hu, 彭虎. Peng is his family name, Hu his birth name. Hu 虎 means "tiger", and now you can understand why Grace suspected him to be Tiger the spy. But that would have been too easy!

Peng 彭 is a common Chinese surname. Its original meaning is believed to be "sound of war drums" (sad implication), but it's also used as an adjective to mean "big". So Pen's full name can mean "big tiger" :D

Back to the couch! Lines are different during the date in Paradise Lost, too.

Come on, little weakling, come and sit next to me. Let's give this trophy a "kiss of victory"! Do you do this with everyone you date? Wait, it seems I'm regretting it a bit... Happiness comes too suddenly...... (Kiss Peng Hu)

In the English version, the Builder can ask "How many of these thrones have you built...?", implying that Pen has had so many lovers he can craft this couch in a matter of few seconds. But in Chinese, the Builder's question is much different, it's more like: "Damn, are you always so over the top when dating someone??"

One of the biggest differences is in this set of lines:

Okay.

Meanwhile, in Chinese:

Today's experience made me realize that love has used a deadly locking technique on both of our hearts. Let me no longer doubt the feelings between us. This love is true love! Now, I am even more unwilling to take my eyes away from you! Haha!

I MEAN.

Also, in Chinese Pen never mentions the infamous 12 girlfriends when the Builder and Grace question him in jail. Yu confirmed that throughout the game Pen doesn't brag about his love life or his popularity with women, probably also due to the negative way Chinese culture sees this kind of "bragging".

Not only Pen and many other characters are younger in Chinese Sandrock (Pen's age ranges from 25 to 27, while he's confirmed to be 31 in the English localization), but he's depicted as being not very experienced in relationships in general. He basically only knows how to fight, punch people, and destroy stuff. Anything else - having friends, being with someone who truly loves him and whom he truly loves, having a normal life - are something he never experienced before. He did date (see his final letter later), but he's not described being the Casanova of Duvos like he is in the English version. In fact, it seems people only liked him due to his body and status, and a remnant of this piece of characterization is left in the English text when he says:

Surely, you understand… I am quite the prize. I can’t take myself off the market just to become arm candy for you to show off at your little buildy guild awards or whatever it is! No, what I desire… is true love…

Furthermore,

In Chinese, he says during the Masterclass friendship mission: "To be honest, I never thought I'd be able to make friends, let alone with someone of your stature/body size! But here we are, with a sick relationship!"

In English: "You know, Skinny, I’ve never had someone I really considered a friend before. Furthermore, I always promised myself I’d never be friends with anyone who didn’t have an awesome cape, but… you made me break that promise."

"I never thought I'd be able to make friends" is different from "I’ve never had someone I really considered a friend before." In the first line, the focus is on Pen ("I don't know how to make friends; I'm not good at it; it's not for me; how do you do it?"), in the second it's on other people ("I've been surrounded by people all my life, but I don't consider any of them to be a friend of mine; yeah, I call this one 'friend', but... they are not really really a friend")

The Chinese line is much sadder, and it shows how lonely Pen's life has been. One of his main characteristics, after all, is being "special", "the strongest", "different from everyone else"; but more often than not, being special and different also mean being "lonely". ("I must say it gets lonely at the top… What I wouldn't give for a truly talented opponent who could really keep me on my toes! Alas...")

And now, the grand finale :'>

A screenshot from Yu's playthrough, Pen's final line:

Farewell, Yu. This time it's for real. You're free.

The Protector, the bracelet Pen will leave for the Builder in the cave, is called "Guardian of Love" (爱的守卫者) in Chinese. Its description says:

A very delicate bracelet that protects the wearer's wrist. Wearing it gives the wearer a feeling of being emotionally confined. Perhaps this feeling is similar to what Peng Hu often said, "Marriage is a boring bondage".

His letter in Chinese is also sweeter and sadder:

最近在这所谓的阿塔拉最高监狱，我也多了点时间思考，没法带你一起来陪我，多少有些遗憾。罢了，这事也怪我。不管怎么说，你也算是我交往过的恋人里最让我上心的，也是为数不多分手之后我还继续挂念的。所以，我打算原谅你了。对——我原谅你了。我想我们也没有机会再在一起了，你也不过是做了你那个位置该���的事，没什么值得抱怨的。我应该一开始就努力把你“招安”了，让你跟我一起，才是最妥当的做法。当然我也没怨你，你确实很优秀。我还留了个最后的挑战给你。在某��遗迹里，有我最宝贵的几样东西，如果你能拿到，就归你了。运用我教给过你的一招半式，要去到那里应该很容易。我亲爱的小弱鸡，这是我最后一次这样叫你了，我相信你的能力。记住，不要怠慢了训练。我们，后会无期。

Dear [name], I've had a little more time to think lately in this so-called Atara Maximum Prison, and I'm more than a little sorry that I couldn't bring you along to accompany me. Well, it's my fault. Anyway, you are still the most beloved lover I have ever been with, and one of the few that I continue to miss even after a breakup. So, I'm going to forgive you. Yeah - I forgive you.I don't think there's a chance we'll ever be together again. You're just doing what you're supposed to do in your position, so there's nothing to complain about. I should have tried my best to recruit you from the beginning, and it would have been the best way to keep you with me. Of course I don't blame you, you're indeed excellent. I also left you a final challenge. In some ruins, there are a few of my most valuable things, and if you can get them, they're yours. It should be easy to get there, using the tricks I've taught you. My dear little weakling, this is the last time I'll call you that, I believe in your abilities. Remember, don't slack off on your training. We won't meet again. (but 后会无期 can also mean "meeting at an unspecified/unclear date")

And finally, if romanced, Pen will leave for the Builder 5 pieces of gold, 2 diamonds, and 1 Protector. 521 (and 520) are a cute way to say "I love you" in Chinese, because when read aloud they sound like "我爱你, Wo ai ni, "I love you". But in some cases, 521 also means "Yes, I will [marry you]" - and Pen does drop a diamond ring after his final battle (apparently he drops it only if you romanced him, but it's unclear yet. I'm pretty sure he didn't drop it during my Fang playthrough, while he did drop it when I romanced him, but I'll need to check that).

WELP, this is pretty much everything I got on this! If the kind Yu will tell us more or I find anything else, I'll update this post!

[the-returnofartemis]

his fs seems so amazing and talented. since we aren't sure if she's already in the public eye or not, i wonder if she's older or younger than him? maybe they're the same age but at stages in life. are there any indications you've come across?

thank you for your hard work. ~

SPECULATING FUTURE SPOUSE TRENDS: WHAT’S THE AGE GAP?

truthfully, it can go either way, but i’m leaning more toward the theory that she’ll most likely be older than him. this is supported by both his vedic and western chart, with looking at the D1, D9, natal and marriage persona charts. using bts' jungkook as an example, i’ll share a few approaches i came across for estimating the age difference between you and your future spouse.

your 7H sign and it's ruler can offer insights into the potential age range of your future partner. the technique is used by looking at the 7H, it's ruler and any aspects to them for a more detailed perspective. further clarification can often be found by analyzing the D9 chart, which is also considered the marriage chart (9H is the house of dharma, spiritual connections and blessings). in western astrology, the marriage persona charts can also be used to reveal insights on one’s life partner and the overall nature of the union. by using both astrological systems, you can gain an overview of the differences in age and clues about your future life partner!

please remember that this is a general approach and it may not always be accurate.

the following placements indicate:

JUPITER | SATURN | SUN ⇢ partner is likely older than you

for jupiter, the age difference may range from five to seven years. 

for saturn, there may be a substantial age difference, typically ranging from seven to ten years or more. 

for sun, the age difference may range between three and five years.

MERCURY | MOON ⇢ partner is likely younger than you

for both planets, the age difference is usually small, often around one to three years, but sometimes can be up to five years. 

MARS | VENUS ⇢ partner is likely around the same age 

for both planets, the difference between partners is typically minimal, between a few months to three years, but usually no more than five years. 

RAHU | KETU ⇢ partner is likely older than you

for both planets, the difference between partners is more than seven to ten years.

VEDIC ASTROLOGY

D1 CHART:

in his rashi chart, jungkook does not have any natal 7H placements, so the focus shifts to the 7H ruler, which is mercury. his mercury conjuncts both his sun and moon, while also forming a sextile to mars.

MARS ASPECT INFLUENCE

⊹ ࣪ ˖ the sextile from mars lays the foundation to the chart and suggests that his spouse is likely around the same age.

YOUTHFUL VS MATURE INDICATORS

⊹ ࣪ ˖ mercury as the 7H ruler, especially in conjunction with the moon, suggests a youthful spouse and the possibility of them being younger than you. though, the age difference between partners will be minimal, only being around one to three years.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ however, the sun’s conjunction with the 7H ruler points to a more mature and possibly older spouse. with the sun aspect as the primary factor, it can indicate that the age difference between partners will increase, with your spouse being three to five older than you.

ADDITIONAL INDICATORS

⊹ ࣪ ˖ jungkook’s venus-saturn aspects in his D1 and D9 chart further supports the idea of a spouse who is older and mature.

the 7H being ruled by mercury suggest a small difference in age between jungkook and his spouse. likewise, the influence of the moon supports the possibility of the spouse being younger. however, the strong presence of sun and saturn introduces the potential for an older partner. taking these combined indicators into account, the rashi chart reveals that jungkook’s partner will likely be close in age with a difference no more than five years!

D9 CHART:

the navamsha chart gives further clarification regarding the age gap. again, there aren’t any direct 7H placements, so the 7H ruler becomes the focus. in this chart —

SATURN AS THE 7H RULER

⊹ ࣪ ˖ saturn as the 7H ruler strongly points toward an older spouse.

ROMANCE AND DHARMA HOUSES

⊹ ࣪ ˖ both his 5H (romance) and 9H (dharma) rulers are in saturn nakshatras — uttara bhadradpada and pushya — further emphasizing a significant age gap, with his partner being older than him.

WESTERN ASTROLOGY

if we were to take a look using western astrology, the results would align with those of the D1 chart. to take it a step further, analyzing the marriage persona charts — briede, groom, and juno — can provide more insights into the potential age difference.

JUNO

⊹ ࣪ ˖ in his juno persona chart, the 7H is ruled by pisces jupiter, and jupiter is also placed in the 7H.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ as the 7H ruler and being placed in the 7H, jupiter strongly indicates an older spouse who is mature, wise and has an expansive energy and a deeply spiritual inner world.

BRIEDE

⊹ ࣪ ˖ in his briede persona chart, the same placements would apply as the juno chart. this further reinforces the idea of an older, mature partner because of the strong jupiter influence.

GROOM

⊹ ࣪ ˖ in his groom persona chart, the 7H is ruled by 5H aquarius mars (traditionally ruled by saturn).

⊹ ࣪ ˖ saturn’s influence is once again in the spotlight as its placed in the 7H, mirroring his navamsha chart (D9).

⊹ ࣪ ˖ saturn’s placement in the 7H again points to an older, mature partner, consistent with the themes seen in his vedic charts.

the combined analysis of his western and vedic charts consistently show that his future spouse is most likely older, with saturn consistently showing up as a key influence. however, there are some youthful indicators (mercury and moon) that suggest that while the age difference is notable, it may not be an overwhelming difference. given the fact that there are no actual 7H placements in his natal (western and vedic) and navamsha chart, there’s no definitive answer, but the overwhelming indicators point to an older spouse!

honestly, my guess is that the difference will likely be between one to three years, based on the theories about the similarities she shares with namjoon and jimin.

i hope this made sense lol. i’ll probably share more on this approach if people are interested!

artemis x

[megabuild]

hey megabuild can you elaborate on the complicated feelings re: bdubs apologizing to tango thing because I too have feelings about it that are complicated and i either need you to confirm I'm insane, confirm I'm not insane or make my insanity feel more enabled

(cracks my knuckles loudly and uncomfortably) the number one c!bdubs defender has logged on for another take hated by all

i think the most key thing to take away from this interaction is not that bdubs is being manipulative and dishonest but that it very clearly lays out the main issues with tuff guys' ability to function, that is, they all have different goals and ideals of what an alliance should function as, but also they have far too much baggage and history that they are all either unable to or unwilling to move on from.

looking at this conversation and taking it at face value- that is, bdubs went in with the intent to manipulate and lie, and then immediately caved when called out- is extremely uncharitable at best when similar behaviours from other players (such as scar) is often handwaved away as them playing the game correctly or exhibiting trauma responses. why these players are afforded such leniency while bdubs never is.. well, that's simply a mystery because i can't think of anything that immediately and obviously might set bdubs aside from the majority of his peers (hint: there is.). this coupled with the fact that bdubs has spent the first two sessions making genuine, if extremely flawed attempts at communication and problem-solving (see: horse discourse, which DID actually work though only after etho defused and approached it on his own terms, and the formation of tuff guys, which is an extremely flawed plot but also tackles the main issues at the core of the alliance- etho's commitment issues, tango's fear of betrayal, and bdubs' reputation) and i find it extremely difficult to believe that this conversation is entirely made up to gain some sort of leverage, because by saying that one must imply that retroactively both of those prior conversations were also probably in part manipulation- at which point we're painting bdubs as a multi-session plotting mastermind and that's just not who he is.

reading over the transcript there's a few key points that i think are really important-

bdubs comments that he's truly apologising, because he apologises in last life (poorly, but still) right after the matter, saying "he's sorry, but he had to". not in any way justifying his treatment of tango in last life, because moments before he also calls him fodder, but this gives us some insight into what bdubs is thinking- that is, it is likely he DOES feel genuinely bad about tango, or at least is able to acknowledge that they need to resolve their prior conflicts if they have any hope of succeeding. otherwise, there is little point in bringing such conflict to the forefront of tango's mind; that's manipulating him in the wrong direction by reminding him of his past traumas and giving him more ammo against bdubs. strategically i cannot understand why he would do this (outside of from a creator standpoint having more drama to mess with, because cc!bdubs is known for this, but if i get into the very murky territory between cc and c here it'll stretch everything out a million miles longer).

bdubs also barely gets a chance to defend himself after his initial apology is not accepted- tango is the one who builds up a "self reflection hole", both immediately dismiss it as manipulation (they are the first ones to suggest this, not bdubs!), and they pick on small tells such as him not having his head down and smiling as proof that he isn't genuine. indeed, when bdubs goes into the hole he asks them to come up with a plan since he won't be leading them, and tango openly laughs at them, signalling to Me that there was never any chance of genuine communication; tango has already made his mind up from the get-go that this is bdubs fucking with him and is unwilling to take it any further. (the phrase "i'm not going to perform my rock bottom for you for the sake of being believed" comes to mind.) it's only after this sentiment is echoed (more unsurely) by etho that bdubs gives up. at no point does bdubs add anything of his own to the conversation past this, he only agrees with what tango and etho are saying about him. with his attempt at communication having failed he defers to "yes and"-ing all the negative things they are saying about him. when bdubs has just spent most of secret life imo proving that he doesn't need to be dependent on others after being dismissed as such for multiple seasons, i think that immediate rejection of his independence and ability to stand up for himself must sting, a lot.

I know they're his teammates but jesus christ he could not have picked worse people to do this with. every character can be assumed to be extremely traumatised as is the nature of the game but etho and tango both have severe issues with communication and trust, both of which stem in part from bdubs' actions in last life (which again, i will defend him to the grave but that was fucking insane of him.) tango on the whole, however, is a character to me defined by his bitterness, especially in WL where he's acting out and being openly cruel to others (which given his previous experiences is honestly understandable). his immediate dismissal of bdubs is exactly what i would have expected of him given everything right now. meanwhile, etho is more cautious and unsure, only committing once he has tango's backing, because despite his issues with bdubs he has more reason to believe him (see: horse discourse once again) and also he's just extremely insecure. go girl.

little to say on this point but the bravado he exhibits after being dismissed also to me reads in line with other bdubs moments where he's putting on a show- he isn't gloating about pulling the wool over their eyes or laughing about how quickly he was found out, he's just.. bigging himself up for the sake of it? i don't know exactly how to word this point but i hope you understand.

tl:dr; i don't think bdubs is intentionally trying to manipulate people here, though i also don't think his timing and choice of apology was especially well-thought out; he's making a lot of attempts at genuine communication this season, for better or for worse, but it's coming from a place of recognising the necessity for it if he wants to get anywhere rather than a sign of genuine emotional growth. and while i wish they could have heard him out i do not fault etho or tango even for a second for assuming it was a ploy.

[sy-on-boy]

Anya + unraveling the mystery of the Desmond family (and Damian being different)

When Melinda debuted, I wrote a post about how she was potentially a character against the Forgers because Anya hadn't met her (we gain insight into characters via our deus ex machina Anya meeting them and reading their minds). Anya has met her now and the narrative has established that she genuinely cares for Damian (even if she's still a mysterious character).

After a long time, Demetrius is finally here. He's still mysterious, but not antagonistic to his brother and still cares for him. Like I said in a previous post, Demetrius subverts what I said above because Anya cannot read him fully even if she's met him. But regardless, Demetrius is here, we've seen him, all four Desmonds have finally debuted. And in my mind, I can vaguely connect them to the Forger-Briar extended family:

Anya - Damian: The kids aiming for stella stars and seeking parental approval. Attached to their dogs. Occasionally heroic (dodgeball, handkerchief, bus hijacking), but ultimately silly kids dragged into "adult" political matters (Anya with more awareness than Damian).

Loid - Donovan: Standing in for WISE vs war, one of the central conflicts. They are fathers and authority figures. Loid, faking a job as a psychiatrist, seeks to understand people (as a fake job, but he also does this as a spy). Donovan famously declared that people would never truly sympathize with each other. A good, attentive father and a neglectful father.

Yor - Melinda: The mothers, the narrative kind of puts them in the background compared to their husbands, but we know they have plot behind them. Yor's job as an assassin is unknown to her family (sans Anya). Melinda has struggles of her own when it comes to parenting her kids / being married to Donovan.

Demetrius - Yuri: Bit of a stretch, but they're both characterized as genius brothers and on the side compared to the main father-mother-child trios. Yuri works for the SSS, in direct opposition to Loid. Demetrius is a middle schooler?? He’s a child so he’s probably not that involved in the main plot, and if he is, it’s not willingly / he was brought up that way. They're both younger (and less experienced) compared to the adults- Demetrius is still a child and Yuri is 20. Yuri's affection for Yor is overflowing and the Briar siblings are very supportive of each other. In contrast, Demetrius is passive and apathetic, but not uncaring.

Anya has met everyone except for Donovan. Anya thinks both Melinda and Demetrius are weird. And Anya thinks of Donovan as the evil super boss. To her, the Desmonds are "weird". "All of Sy-on boy's relatives are such weirdos" - not sure if it's just the translation, but this line seems to imply Anya thinks Damian is exempt to the weirdness of his family. After all, unlike Demetrius, she can read Damian's thoughts normally. And unlike Melinda (and Yuri, and Fiona), she usually doesn't get bombarded with an overwhelming wave of intense thoughts when she reads Damian's mind.

And that brings us to the next point - Damian's time in Eden and the positive influences he receives (away from his family). Damian and Anya are better friends now. E&E's loyalty and affection for him have been established countless times. Becky congratulates Damian this chapter. Despite Damian thinking people suck up to him to get close to his father, he has a group of friends who do care about him (including Becky who doesn't suck up to him). Outside of what we see from Anya's pov, Damian has teachers and his dorm mother (Jeeves too) who care for him. Damian isn't alone.

Damian is shown to be disconnected from his family for whatever reason. His parents didn't come to his orientation. Damian says he doesn't see his parents often. Melinda cares for Damian but isn't allowed to see him often / afraid to be seen with him (?). Damian has called Demetrius before but this is the first time we see him meet Demetrius in person. And we all know about Damian's goal of impressing his father. Damian seems to believe Demetrius and Donovan when close when they were younger (when Demetrius was slightly older than Damian’s age), but Damian receives no such attention. Despite this, Damian still manages to have a fairly happy school life with his friends and supportive adult figures.

I think Damian's growing friendship with Anya and the recent complete reveal of the Desmond family will push Anya into thinking Damian is not like his weird family. If anything, Damian is more like Anya and her associates. Post bus-hijacking, Damian from Anya's POV is seen as more likeable / sympathetic, even more so now that we know about his mother and brother.

Anya is a child who is exposed to some of the darkness in Melinda / Demetrius' heads (trauma from being close to Donovan?), and she doesn't really understand them. Melinda / Demetrius seem off to outsiders (we saw Yor’s reaction, Becky thinks Demetrius is creepy) but it’s only Anya who’s capable of reading their minds and knowing how weird their thoughts are. But Anya has a much better understanding of Damian, the youngest Desmond, who is a kid like her with understandable motivations (getting stars, impressing his dad) similar to Anya's own motivations.

Interesting to note that Demetrius, while at Eden, seems rather lonely and disconnected even within his peer group. When he walks down the stairs, the panel frames it as him being alone, while Damian has four friends with him. When Damian and Anya get their stars, their classmates are shown to be smiling / impressed. When Demetrius gets his stars, we see two of his peers sweatdropping, almost looking wary, while a blushing girl has her hands to her mouth. The story doesn't show Demetrius' peers celebrating his success. It feels like Demetrius' peers are used to him getting good grades but still in awe of how good he is, but... they're not really close to him. Demetrius is not social and says he doesn't understand people, and maybe he doesn't interact much with his peers.

This chapter also reveals Demetrius is not in regular contact with Donovan anymore, contrary to what Damian believed. So Demetrius seems removed from the Desmond family sphere, but also isn't super integrated into the Eden sphere (in contrast to his 6yo brother and his friends). We can believe Demetrius isn’t close to Donovan because he is annoyed (and triggered?) by the mere mention of his father. Clearly Donovan has done something scarring to both Melinda and Demetrius and their thoughts look weird to Anya. Damian, despite craving for his father's attention and being stressed about it, is still relatively unaffected.

From now on, I think we'll slowly get more information about the Desmonds while Damian remains separated from them in the narrative. Damian is introduced as a vital part of Plan B due to his connection with his father, but even Damian himself admits there's not much of a connection. Plan B is working (sort of) because Damianya are friends, but that doesn't mean it's easier for Anya to meet Donovan. I think the narrative has been pushing Damian away from being a plot device for Plan B to being Anya's genuine friend and a victim of the Desmond parenting. At this point, Damian is not really useful to the main plot and there's not much mystery to this 6yo child.

Damian still thinks of himself as a scion of the Desmonds and he’s desperately trying to get his father’s attention. But his dad doesn’t really care, his mom loves him but doesn’t want him to be near Donovan, his brother is similar and also seemingly doesn’t want anything to do with Donovan. Meanwhile, the story establishes him as a boy with a crush on Anya, a boy with friends who will readily sacrifice themselves for him, a boy who’s willing to protect his classmates. All around Damain, his peers, associates, and the story itself has long been defining Damian as someone outside of being the Desmond family. But Damian naturally holds onto it.

Damian isn’t mysterious to Anya because she can read him. Okay, she still thinks he’s a brat sometimes, but that’s Damain being Damian, not Damian being a Desmond. But everyone else in the family is mysterious and it makes Anya feel at least vaguely uncomfortable.

The Desmonds are probably connected to Project Apple, and with the recent hints of Anya’s backstory, we might get some of that. But Damian is framed as almost completely separate to whatever went on, while Melinda and Demetrius are portrayed as victims of Donovan, mysterious and a bit weird but still sympathetic.

And that’s why I think it’s coming together— hints of Anya’s backstory, Damianya becoming better friends, the Desmonds all here. We’ve scratched the surface off and we’re hopefully going to see more.

(Also, just a thought: if Damian indeed goes through a “dark arc” and becomes more like the rest of his family, Anya will know because she can read his mind. She will be able to tell if Damian’s thoughts also start being “weird”. But they are better friends now which could be a lead up to her helping Damian deal with the pressure and struggle.)

[astra-ravana]

On Types Of Spirits And The Genius Loci

Working with diverse spirits, particularly genius loci, enriches a witch's practice in profound ways. These spirits, the guardians of places, offer unique insights and power. By connecting with them, witches gain a deeper understanding of the land, its history, and the energies that flow within it. This connection enhances spellwork, divination, and healing practices, allowing for more potent and tailored magick. Moreover, forging relationships with genius loci fosters a sense of belonging and responsibility towards the natural world, strengthening the witch's connection to the earth and its cycles.

Spirits Exist in Many Forms

Most are aware one form of spirit is that of the deceased; both human and animal. Regarding human spirits, those a witch may work with are divided into three main groups. Most common are the Beloved Dead and Mighty Dead. The Beloved Dead are those connected to the practitioner through blood and family ties. They are biological and familial ancestors, remnants of the past that live on through the witch. The Mighty Dead include spiritual ancestors, practitioners of the past, and even major figures (ie: Crowley, Merlin, John Dee, Gardner, Dukante, etc). These spirits can be approached for communication and aid. The final group is that of the Dark Dead, or shades, which are mainly approached by necromancers for baneful purposes. These spirits can carry negative energy, act violently, and pose other risks, so the utmost caution is recommended in regards to them.

The spirits of deceased animals are another type of spirit commonly worked with. They can be approached in either an archetypal form (ie: coyote is a trickster, crow/raven is a spiritual messenger, turtles are psychopomps) or as the spirit of a specific dead animal such as a deceased pet, or a dead animal found on the road, in the woods, etc. Working and communicating with animal spirits is surprisingly, as many things within witchcraft are once you learn to navigate and move the energies involved. It can be a very rewarding and worthy addition to any witch's practice.

While some higher spirits have lived human livea, the majority of spirits have never been corporeal, that is, they've never existed in a physical body or a physical plane. They are purely energetic, some existing primarily in the Otherworld, yet interacting with (and within) the physical plane, while others float about between the worlds, existing comfortably in both. These spirits are more complicated and diverse, existing in as many patterns and forms as physical creatures do. There are some that are unable to really communicate, existing more mechanically with one purpose, similar to created spirits (ie: thoughtforms, servitors, egregores, etc.) only existing naturally. Some of these are regularly encountered, though they are more of an annoyance than anything, as they are often parasitic, feeding off specific energies. However, they can be gotten rid of and kept away through warding and other methods.

There are spirits that bare a remarkable similarity to us, though they may not be humanoid in the slightest. They are fully sentient, intelligent, and have their own agendas, although some do take interest in humans, and may help or harm us based on their morality. Just as with humans, they are generally more willing to help if the interaction benefits them in some way, and some are just, well, complete assholes.

The Overlooked Spirits

But the spirits that are worked with most by witches are the ones whose status of 'spirit' is often overlooked. The most obvious is the case of deities. Gods and goddesses are approached with a high degree of sincerity and respect, as they and all spirits should be, but this doesn't change the fact that, on the spectrum of entities, they are just another type of spirit with great complexity and power behind them. It helps to consider that many deities were originally genius loci, that is, local spirits of a place that were important to the people who lived in that area. As that spirit proved helpful to people, people responded with more praise and offerings, strengthening the spirit. This made them not only more likely to help, but better able to. As time passed, this spirit would gain more power and reach as people interacted with each other, sharing the knowledge and experience of this spirit. No culture exists within a vacuum and mutual sharing across cultures was and is commonplace. Gods were shared, various gods would grow in power while others were subsumed in the worship of another god, strengthening that god further.

The spirits of plants are a very common, yet often unsung, part of witchcraft. Plants are worked with similarly to animals in that they are approached archtypally (ie: rosemary is protection, mugwort is dream work, saffron is success, etc.) or individually as in your personal flower garden or the big tree in your yard. However, plant spirits tend to be more impermanent than animal spirits. A plant can be approached, beseeched, you can take a bit for a working, but the essence of the plant's spirit will be gone once it is used. With animals the spirit can easily exist tied to its bones for years.

The elements (elementals) are another type of spirit often overlooked, although they are very prominent in modern witchcraft. They tend to be archetypal in nature, though individual elemental spirits definitely exist. They are easily approached and worked with as they are primarily neutral in nature.

The Genius Loci or Local Spirits

As previously mentioned, some spirits inhabit a certain location, sometimes tied to a natural feature such as a river, mountain, rock formation, spring, cave, forest, etc. These spirits are the genius loci, or genii locus, the spirits of a particular place. There are really no rules to what local spirits can be tied to, sometimes it's just the general area. These spirits may manifest, allowing people to witness them, however, they usually spend their time in a pure, energetic form, invisible to the naked eye, though not necessarily undetectable to a knowledgeable practitioner.

There are numerous reports within folklore from around the world of these such spirits, with the Fae, or Fair Folk, being the most commonly acknowledged, though not the only type. These spirits are unsurprisingly, very protective of where they live and can be standoffish and difficult to work with initially. They can also be hostile, especially in areas that have been damaged by humans (ie: deforestation, development, littering, vandalism, etc.) However, as a witch or a spirit-worker, it only makes sense to approach the resident spirits where we live. They are our neighbors, sharing our home with us, with mutual interest in preserving that place. Once a relationship is established that spirit could prove to be quite beneficial. Local spirits know the area in which they live better than any living creature ever could. They can help you find particular plants, stones, lost objects, or naturally occurring gateways to the Otherworld. The genius loci can truly become allies and friends.

Tips for Working with the Genius Loci

• Actually spend time outside in your local area. This will allow spirits to become comfortable with your presence.

• Eat meals outside and 'share' by leaving offerings to the spirits.

• Clean up litter and garbage to earn trust.

• Listen to them, and remember they speak through more than words.

• Always be respectful, considerate, and kind.

• Perform witchcraft outdoors.

• Learn the local folklore. Visit nearby sacred or haunted places.

There is much more than what can be said about working with the genius loci, but the best way to learn about and interact with them is to just make an attempt. They are a generally east class of spirit to honor and work with. Regardless of where you are, they are there too. Take care.

[callmearcturus]

The Video Gaming Major Arcana

The latest patron episode of Into The Aether/@intothecast asked the boys to decide a video game for every Major Arcana card. They ran out of time on it and only got 2/3s thru

my ass was like "Challenge Accepted"

0 - The Fool - Dragon Quest (The Fool is infinite potential and is at the start of a long journey. DQ as a series is a long-running, is a bedrock of the medium, and has done its own takes on everything from pokemon to minecraft, and it either did it first or did it better.)

1 - The Magician - Metroid and Zelda (The Magician is the first person the Fool meets and is a guide for the journey. The Magician is associated strongly with teaching and with tools. Metroid and Zelda both are foundational works and they revolve around gating player process through tools.)

2 - The High Priestess - FEZ (The High Priestess is another guide, but sits before the veil, keeping guard over arcane, hidden knowledge and deciding when to share the secrets of the universe. FEZ is one of the Big Games that hide under layers and layers of mystery.)

3 - The Empress - Stardew Valley (The Empress presides over growth and cultivation of her kingdom, sitting in a field with wheat in hand. SDV is chiefly about taking care of your own domain, the farm and the wider village.)

4 - The Emperor - Civilization (The Emperor is the firm hand of government and can be an important navigator in chaos but also is angered by lack of obedience and losing control. Civ is all about steering every aspect of a nation and protecting it viciously.)

5 - The Hierophant - Pokemon (The Hierophant is a cultural, societal leader that gains power from people who believe similarly but subsequently is very set in their ways. Pokemon is a huge phenomenon that unites people of all ages, but also struggles heavily with innovation and progress.)

6 - The Lovers - Journey (The Lovers aren't necessarily smoochy-smoochy, but represent a Decision, joining hands with another person and striding into the future together. It's Journey. If you know, you know.)

7 - The Chariot - Bethesda's Catalog (The Chariot is a tumultuous, potent card. They hold onto the reins of powerful beasts and drive forward, blazing a new path. But if they lose grip, everything goes to hell. Bethesda's works tend to have this incredible ambition to them, and when they hit, they HIT, but when they miss, it's dramatic.)

8 - Justice - Dark Souls (Justice is the system and its enforcement of its rules, whether they feel fair or arbitrary. I feel DS fits it well-- it relentlessly follows its own rules and is firm in them, which can either draw players in or seem cruel and unwelcoming.)

9 - The Hermit - Immortality (The Hermit is a wise person who gained specialized knowledge but through great personal sacrifice. They find it difficult to share their knowledge because they essentially traded that ability to communicate easily for the wisdom. Immortality has some deeply complicated concepts to communicate, but its methods and the basic mechanics it uses are to some people impossible to understand.)

10 - (Wheel of) Fortune - Spelunky (Fortune is the card of pure luck and the whims of fate and how you survive being caught in its spokes. Spelunky is a pure Rogue-like as opposed to a Rogue-lite and there is no knowing what the procgen will give you.)

11 - Strength - Undertale (Strength is specifically about emotional control and fortitude. It's not about slaying the lion, but holding it, keeping it from lashing out. Undertale is a game that asks the player to endure emotional struggles both against the mechanics and against their own inclinations.)

12 - The Hanged Man - Signalis (OH BOY ITS MY FAVE CARD. The thing about the Hanged Man is that it's a test, a gamble, a deal. The Hanged Man is not hung from the neck, this is not an execution, they are inverted. They choose to be inverted in the hopes of gaining some Insight into the universe, but in doing so risk madness or obsession or doom. Signalis is both a game about a protagonist going through this and also a game that will put the player through this if they aren't careful.)

13 - The Nameless Arcana - Braid (I'm not even personally a fan of Braid, but I believe it is one of the handful of Original Indie Games. The very existence and popularity of Braid and its contemporaries showed that games outside the big studios could hit big. Braid (or Cave Story for the PC crowd) altered the landscape.

14 - Temperance - Yakuza (Temperance is the melding of disparate elements that should not go together into something grand and new, and maintaining that balance. Yakuza manages to be genuine and profound not in spite of its strange mixture of tones and mechanics but because of them.)

15 - The Devil - Genshin Impact (I don't feel the need to elaborate on this one.)

16 - The Tower - Shenmue (The Tower is total upheaval and where it all comes crashing down, where ambition crumbles and brings an institution down with it. Shenmue is not solely to blame for the failure of the Dreamcast and Sega's exit from the console arena, but it contributed to it and is emblematic of that seachange.)

17 - The Star - Mass Effect (The Star is a beacon in the darkness, a distant light that indicates not so much a goal, but that the journey will continue. Mass Effect is a landmark title that maybe didn't execute on half the things it tried, strangled by its own scope, but it still showed what games could do, broadening the possibility space. It is hope for greater experiences and art.)

18 - The Moon - Metal Gear (The Moon illuminates the path through the darkness, but creates illusions in the reflections, demanding the querent move forward with care or they will go astray, go mad. Is Metal Gear really deep? Is it the closest triple-A games get to arthouse? Does it have meaning? Or is it a mess? Is it too Problematique to justify it's big ideas? Is it all just really, really stupid? Or is it genius?)

19 - The Sun - Tetris Effect (The Sun comes at the end of a long, arduous journey. It is the sigh of relief, the tears of release, the light to finally see how far you've come. Tetris Effect is the latest iteration of one of the oldest formulas ever, and it's brilliant and celebratory and invites everyone to take part in its joy.)

20 - Judgement - Pathologic (Judgement is all-seeing and all-knowing, the final tally and the reckoning. So is Pathologic. Few experiences demand so much from the player, and few games are so brutally honest in answering the player's decisions. In Pathologic, you will get what you deserve.)

21 - The World - The Outer Wilds (The beginning is the end is the beginning. Completion and totality and holistic understanding of Everything. It's gotta be Outer Wilds.)

[markrosewater]

Hi Mark,

My name is Isaac Holguin. I sent a detailed email regarding your work on the color pie over the years to making.magic@hotmail.com. I hope that is the correct avenue to reach out to you. I had the pleasure of being answered on this blog as well, so I thought I'd double check by contacting you here. In case the email listed isn't in service anymore, I've copied my message below. I hope this reaches you and that you're doing well. If you're able, I'd love to hear back at interactnm@gmail.com. Thanks for all you do!

----------

Hello Mr. Rosewater,

My name is Isaac Holguin and I'm a nurse studying leadership and education in Tucson, Arizona. Before I get into the topic of my email, I'd just like to say thank you for being a spokesperson for Magic the Gathering all these years! I've played the game since I was thirteen years old, all through college, and well into my career. Magic the Gathering has helped me make new friends and deepen bonds with people I already had in my life. Though I've stopped participating in recent years, the game will always hold a special place in my heart and I've still got an Alpha Serra Angel that is as old as I am!

One of the best memories I have from my time with Magic was diving into the color wheel breakdown series from your "Drive to Work" podcast. During my pursuit of a Bachelors in Nursing Science, I often cited the color wheel as a tool to determine personality traits and compared it to other topics in my studies. Now that I'm pursuing my Master's degree in Nursing Education, I'm interested to see if there were any references or inspirations for the development of the color pie. With the recent popularity of the Myers-Briggs assessment (16 Personalities), Ten Faces of Innovation, and other similar tools I'd like to try and adapt the color pie as a leadership/personality assessment. I understand there will be multiple steps involved to publish such a study with respect to Hasbro and Magic the Gathering as a company, but I would like to attempt to lay the foundation of this project during my studies.

The goal of this project would be to introduce an existing, incredible, fun, and easy to use tool to a vast new audience. Helping others acknowledge that all aspects of the personalities presented exist within them to some degree and can evolve over time has become a core belief for me both personally and professionally. Examples of "your greatest weakness is your greatest strength pushed too far" and the idea that the capacity for good and evil exists in any aspect of a personality are incredible insights that I haven't seen cited enough throughout my studies. My wildest hope is that this tool would be utilized in coursework for multiple professions, similar to the curriculum I'm studying now, to help future leaders reflect on their strengths and develop effective leadership styles.

In short, I hope that you're doing well and would love to hear your insights, recommendations, and references for the work you've so passionately brought to thousands of others of the years. Even if you're unable to share certain aspects of your work, I'd like you to know that your endeavors have not only brought relief and happiness to healthcare workers like me, but that you've inspired so many others to apply the lessons of fictional works to improve our reality. The lessons gained from my long history with this franchise have helped me connect to others in their most vulnerable moments, and improve their quality of life. Thank you for all that you've done, and I wish you continued success in a field you've already become an exemplary expert in.

Sincerely,

Isaac Holguin

BSN, RN

I’m always excited to hear about ways people can use the color pie outside the context of the game. I’m not sure what I can do to help you.

[22drunkb]

Do you think he was ever in love with Bedelia like he was in love with Will? I ask this because Bedelia says they were both the "brides of Hannibal". But Hannibal never courted her like he did with Will, Bedelia came into Hannibal's life much before Will but he never pursued her like he did with Will. Mads said he wanted a future with Will unlike with other people he hooked up with Alana, Bedelia or Anthony. He took her to Italy as a consolation prize when Will betrayed him. Even in Italy H was pining about Will all the time and telling Bedelia how much he loves Will. I know he slept with Bedelia but he probably slept with Anthony too and he slept with Alana, Hannibal is a hedonistic guy who sleeps around. For him sleeping with someone doesn't mean he is in love with them. But when Will confronts Bedelia, she pretends as if Hannibal held them in the same regard which is obviously not true. Hannibal would choose Will over her in a heart beat and even she knows it but yet she acts as if Hannibal sees them both equally. I don't understand why? 😭 Why do you think?why make herself seem like a competition when she is not?

I think you're misunderstanding the meaning of "bride" here. It doesn't mean beloved. It doesn't mean favorite. It doesn't necessarily mean sex. It means something more like what Chiyoh meant when she called Bedelia "his bird": "He puts us [birds] in cages to see what we'll do."

Hannibal collects people, generally. Most of his therapy patients are collectibles. He collects them because he sees potential in them for "becoming," for expressing an inner potential that interests him and that he thinks, in his own way, it would be good and true to themselves for them to express. (This generally amounts to some kind of murdering or violence.) He may be interested to see what will happen when his collectibles are transformed, but he doesn't find it terribly hard to imagine or predict. The people he has sex with don't even all fall into this category; I don't think he particularly was interested in Alana's potential becoming, for instance, though things did work out that way (but, in some ways, more at Will's hand than at Hannibal's).

That said, the category of "collectible" is large and includes both Will and Bedelia. However, there's another category, a subset, within that, which Will, Bedelia, Chiyoh, and Abigail occupy: that's "bird." These are people whose behavior is less predictable and therefore more interesting and engrossing. In the process of transforming his collectibles-in-general, he doesn't necessarily show these objects of interest much about himself. His true self, that is, rather than the mask. The four I just named get more of a look. However, Chiyoh and Abigail get their views not entirely at Hannibal's choosing: Chiyoh is from his past, and Abigail figured a fair amount out herself. (It's more complicated than this, but for that reason I don't think it's helpful to get into these two further here.) There are, as far as we know, only two people who've gained much insight into him entirely of his own volition: Bedelia and Will.

Both Will and Bedelia are people Hannibal collected and then cultivated in order to have someone to share himself with. I am not saying that that meant he felt exactly the same way about them, or that he shared the same things or to the same degree. But Hannibal put his therapist in a position to murder not only because he saw that potential in her and wanted to bring it out, as with all collectibles, but also to gain a certain degree of control over her so he'd have a therapist he could actually talk to. It's hinted in their pre-Florence sessions that she does not want to continue being his therapist but feels she has little choice.

Hannibal saw that collectible potential in Will and, like Bedelia, wanted him to be someone he could show himself to, albeit in different ways and to a more profound degree. Less utilitarian and more romantic. He made it very clear in the s2 finale that he wanted that more than anything: "I let you see me, know me. I gave you a rare gift. But you didn't want it." (Or something like that, I'm paraphrasing from memory.)

What is necessary for him to select these two people to be seen by is for him to respect them, in his own way. He does not respect all his collectibles, though he's interested in them. He respects Chiyoh and Abigail more, but in a "precocious child" kind of way, rather than anything peerlike. But, Bedelia: he does actually listen to what Bedelia says. He forces her to let him play patient to some degree, but, within the role of patient, he squirms at some of her insights and defends himself the way a patient who feels that their therapist has power does. He values her input enough to subject himself to it. He enjoys her company enough to take her to Florence. She can't "surprise" him the way Will can, and he's not enamored and fascinated with her the same way. But he does hold respect for her. If we were to view what I said about the patient dynamic he has with her as a BDSM thing (which....it is), he chose her to play the dom, which is a pretty big deal, really.

I don't disagree with you that his interest in Will is qualitatively different. But they have both, at different times, been someone he chose to know him. That's a special status. It is also a status of being kept, to some degree: Bedelia didn't have the option not to be his therapist, and, as Will feels once he gets sucked back in after his time with Molly, he never really had the option to escape either. Birds again.

In the "We've both been his bride" conversation, it's Will who comes in with an aggressive, competitive energy, not Bedelia. He calls her "bride" first, and she responds by saying that Will has been too--i.e., why are you so mad at me? Why are you displacing your feelings here? (That is, she's being a therapist.) Through the whole conversation, Bedelia is actually trying to get Will to see that they aren't the same, and that Hannibal cares for him and belongs to him in a way he didn't to Bedelia. It's just that to get Will there, she first has to get him to admit that he has been attached to/chosen by Hannibal at least as much as she has, before she can show him that his position goes further. She's not setting herself up as a rival at all. Will came in angry because he subconsciously saw her that way, and she is working with that starting point to get him to understand better. This is the conversation that leads Will to ask, "Is Hannibal in love with me?", which he never could have brought himself to consciously articulate without her guidance.

I wrote a whole post just about this conversation, if you'd like further explanation. See also this and this from @bonearenaofmyskull.

[theblackfemininesociety]

Reflect & Transition: Fall Edition

✨ The intense Self Love Affair Season ✨

Hello September 🤎

Welcome besties and future besties of BFS,

The intertwining of seasons and femininity is truly captivating. The way they mirror each other is both striking and motivating.

As we usher in the fall season, we believe as your accountability partners, it's essential to reflect on all that has happen so far & what you need to change in order to set you up for success during this time!

We have 4 months left of 2024.

17 Weeks — 122 Days

Reflect

What steps have you taking in your femininity/level up/ womanhood journey?

What have you discovered that is effective for you, and what insights have you gained that were not beneficial?

Be honest: What have you freed yourself from? What challenges do you face? Are they self-inflicted?

Plan

Plan for what’s next!

What does the woman you have become require now?

What do you wish for the woman you are transforming into?

Now that you know your challenges, what are the steps you will take to overcome them? Identifying your obstacles is the first step, but devising a plan to address them is crucial.

Every challenge is an opportunity for growth. What strategies will you implement to ensure your success moving forward?

Transition

Now you have more knowledge and experience on what worked and what didn’t, what is needed and what can be improved. You can confidently make decisions that align with your goals and aspirations.

Each step you've taken has brought you closer to understanding the nuances of your journey.

Embrace this insight as you move forward, creating strategies that leverage your strengths while addressing any weaknesses.

Trust yourself and the path you are carving out, as it is uniquely yours.

Execute

This is your life, baby! Whatever you want is yours for the taking as long as you do the work! It's time to execute.

Get up, set your goals, and smash through the barriers that stand in your way.

No more excuses, no more waiting for the perfect moment.

Focus on your vision, hustle hard, and embrace the challenges that come your way. Here at BFS we take a hold of our own destiny! push through the tough times, and let your passion fuel your journey.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Consider our resources available to you and the support systems you can tap into.

Join our free sisterhood Groupchat !

Follow us on Instagram ∙ Facebook

[meggahamicide]

Tell me a bit about your Sep AU

*Smacks lips* Well, since you asked so nicely.

First thing's first, my pinned post has a bunch of info on the character designs and basic stuff, but most of what I've revealed thus far is here.

Now for me to rant.

Without saying too much to keep from big spoilers and to summarize some of my other posts, Vermin (Leo) was raised by Draxum. He was educated and was studied by the yokai through about eight years, in which an event later that year resulted in the loss of Draxum's arm revealed Vermin's healing abilities and, in addition, his innate ability to wield mystic energy. I don't want to reveal too much of Vermin's past anymore, but in the end, too much overextended use of his abilities caused him to lose most of his capacity to use them safely.

Cue Draxum kinda loosing whatever morals he had left and forcing Vermin into a plethora of experiments in hopes of making him stronger, many of which altered his body via extra mutations, another resulting in the ports you see in my art on the sides of his neck and arms. The reason for the ports is to inject Vermin with a mutagenic variant of the ooze that Draxum created for the sole purpose of boosting Vermin's skills in combat without the use of his mystics.

Anyway, Vermin eventually comes to the conclusion that this situation isn't quite right and he's tired of the way Draxum uses him, so he leaves at the ripe age of fourteen and runs to the surface where he hopes his creator wont look for him.

A huge kerfuffle ends with April meeting Vermin and later taking him to the brothers when the slider gets injured, where he gets stuck for the majority of the story.

Personality wise, Vermin is a distrustful being. A lifetime of learning to never rely on others or put faith in unwarranted kindness taught him that it's best to keep everyone at arms length. He relies on being one step ahead of anyone and often secludes himself if he doesn't think he can gain anything from the brothers. When he's with the family, his features are often a mimic of whatever expression he can think to gain favor, but if that doesn't work, he drops all pretenses and instead either runs or uses force, a remnant of a lifetime under Draxum's tutelage.

It both surprises and scares him when he starts to like the brothers, so much so that he's at war with his own emotions a few months into meeting them, but it takes years for him to begin unlearning the automatic habits that he'd learned. When his mask starts to crack, the brothers start to see more of the terrified child that never learned to love, so they make it their goal to urge him out of his shell, even when a lot of the time Vermin gets angry and violent or tries to convince himself that they're lying and they'd never be interested in knowing him if not for his skills in fighting.

This is where we see the classic Leo's insecurity and what I look forward to exploring as I start to really get into fleshing out the story. As the story goes on, he starts to realize that fighting and being better at outsmarting his opponents really isn't the most important thing in life and as a result, he feels incompetent in comparison to the brothers, who are so closely connected that he feels like an outsider a lot of the time.

But resilience is key and the brothers aren't likely to give up on Vermin so soon (even if they have yet to learn Draxum raised him).

Well, I hope you enjoyed the can of worms you just opened, and I hope that this give some insight in to the au that I've been teasing for so long!

[transmutationisms]

i know this is like baby communist stuff but do you have any recommendations on how to approach theory? aside from like marxists dot org

sorry forgot this ask was here. i'm not sure if you mean getting into marxist theory specifically or just, how to approach dense theoretical texts that are often unwelcoming to new readers.

regarding marxism, i personally get a lot out of michael heinrich's how to read capital every time i revisit it, and his introduction to capital. david harvey also has some useful work, including a companion to marx's capital. harvey also has a lot of problems (see here to start) and tbc i'm not suggesting him or heinrich because i think you should treat them as unassailable authorities. but i find that both of them are useful for glossing and presenting many of marx's ideas in a way that makes it clearer to lay readers how they're formulated and what's at stake. if you've ever opened capital and just been like "these corn laws must be important but i'm not sure i understand why", i think companion guides like heinrich's especially can be really helpful for giving you a foothold and an idea of what to look for, how to evaluate the utility and applicability of the concepts, &c.

in general, getting into theory can definitely be intimidating but i also think it's less scary than people make it look at first. what concepts or problems or people are interesting to you? that's where you should start; you might find that you end up wanting to read the people they were responding to as well, but i think it's a common mistake to psych yourself out by trying to trace every theoretical concept back to its ultimate source (the old "reading plato so i can read kant so i can read hegel so i can read marx so i can..."). if you're baffled by a text, online is your friend; i really recommend the stanford encyclopedia of philosophy, and you can poke around their articles' bibliographies. also, if you're reading something and it sucks, hit the bricks. life is short. lastly i think discussing theory is not just fun but also useful, for pushing your own understanding and gaining someone else's insights. so, if you have friends who are into this stuff or access to a reading group or something, i'd take advantage. there are definitely ways to do this online as well, although there is something to be said for buying someone a pint and a pack and having a good argument :-)

[yes-i-am-happyaspie]

Joy, what if there's someone else or a family who have similar hair colour and eyes colour see Peter and decided that he belong with their family haha and Tony who heard about that got jealous and declared war to them haha

What if that person/family *was* Tony and it's not until AFTER he has his armor in a twist about it that he figures out it's him. lmao.

Like, one day Peter mentions that there's this person who kinda looks like him and he kinda likes to pretend he's his dad. "Do you think that's weird?"

Tony feels like he's just taken the entire weight of a train to his gut. Because, well- he kinda thinks of Peter as his kid. He knew him first. He called dibs! But Peter looks nervous and a little embarrassed so he forces a smile. "I think as long as that person is good to you, it's fine." But it's a lie. It's a HUGE lie because no one could treat Peter better than he can.

"Well, the thing is- they don't actually know I, uh- think that. They *are* good to me but really, it's just kind of a game I play with them. In my head."

Tony nods, his brain is turning. If he can figure out who this person is, he can ask them to back off. He could let them know the kid has the whole mentor-father figure thing covered. No need to butt in. He clenches his jaw, imagining what that would feel like. "So, is it a teacher or-" He needs to narrow down his options.

"He teaches me stuff."

"Family friend?"

"Kind of. May was a little weird about it at first but he's growing on her."

Great, Tony thinks. If May likes this guy that could create a massive problem because May does NOT like him. She doesn't hate him either but if she had to choose someone for her nephew to internally parentalize? Is that a word? Doesn't matter. If May had to choose. It wouldn't be him. He really needed to track this guy down; maybe find him a job on the opposit side of the planet.

He wants to ask who exactly this person is, but if he's going to declare a secret war on them he needs the Parkers to believe he has no idea who Peter is talking about. So, he doesn't ask. Instead, he spends the next two days coming up with a plan of action. Nothing too nefarious. He comes up with a fake raffle. One that would allow the winner to visit the SI headquarters in China. If that person was then offered a permanent job there with benefits, a sign-on bonus and housing- well, who could give that up?

After that was worked out, he used FRIDAY to narrow down a list of suspects. He made certain to ask Peter about his daily activities, He tried to bring up the mystery person in conversation, hoping to gain some insight. All the while he had FRIDAY analyzing the data.

All of that effort, and by day six he's narrowed it down to two people and neither of them makes sense. Ned's Dad looks nothing like Peter. And that teacher Peter talks about, Mr. Harrington doesn't seem to take an interest in Peter outside of school-related functions.

"Peter- who is this person?" he finally asks, trying and failing to keep the frustration out of his voice.

"What person?"

"The person you see a- the one you pretend is your dad. I've been trying to figure it out and- who is it?"

Peter ducks his head, his lip goes between his teeth and his cheeks turn five sade of red.

"Come on, Pete. It can't be that bad." Horror passes through his brain. "It's not Happy is it?" He can't send Happy to China. If it's Happy he's going to have to live with it. Miserably.

"No!" Peter looks up briefly. "It's- Mr. Stark, it's you."

That tain is back to hit him in the gut again. This time in a good way. "Me? I thought you said May liked this person?"

Peter laughs. "I said they were growing on her."

Tony thinks back. Peter had also said the person looked kind of like him, was good to him, and taught him stuff. He supposed he fit the bill. His chest, and subsequently his cheeks grew warm. "Pete, I-"

"I'm sorry! I know it's weird!"

"Not weird, Buddy. One hundred percent not weird."

"It's not?"

"Nah. Or if it is, then we're both weird because I've been thinking about you as my kid for a while." He grins. "Is this the part where we hug?"

Peter grins too. "I don't know. Are we there yet?"

"Get in here you little punk!" He and Peter fall into each other's arms. They squeeze tightly and smile stupidly. Eventually, Tony glances up at the ceiling. "Hey FRIDAY? Cancel operation 'Three's a Crowd.'"

"Operation what? Peter asks.

Tony yanks Peter's head back down onto his chest and squeezes him a little more tightly. "Nothing. Don't worry about it. Let's just hug it out, then go do some science."

Peter giggles happily. "Sure, Mr. Stark. Let's do that."

[mrradmccoolman]

AHHHH sorry it's been so long!! welcome or welcome back to

ELLIOTT'S ANDERPERRY SONG ANALYSIS

today's song issss....

Spider by Momma

this one is very much a todd-centric song for me-- specifically focusing on his relationship with himself considering the way his family and the people around him treat him. the andersons are soooo unexplored in the movie and have such potential for a complicated and realistic family dynamic. i hope this analysis gives some insight into how i perceive both todd and the andersons as a whole-- i could go on and on about them, but ill try to keep this shorter for your sake!!

"blessed by every little universe" i see this lyric as how todd perceives his brother, jeffrey, to be. now personally, i see jeffrey as being a good big brother in general, who simply falls into the trap todd's parents and the people around him do-- they don't quite know what to do with him/understand him. (understand this is very much headcanon territory here; as i mentioned, todd's relationship with his family and brother is woefully unexplored in canon. many people see jeffrey as distant or even neglectful of todd, which isn't in any way a wrong perspective, but it's just different from the one i myself take :)) as much as todd loves his brother, he can't help but feel bitter sometimes at the way things seem to come so easily for jeff. one of the hardest things about having undiagnosed anxiety is that you truly believe everyone else around you is experiencing the same level of anxiety as you are, they're just better at dealing with it, and there's something inherently wrong with/weak about you that you can't. that was my experience, at least, and i think todd would feel the same way. not to mention jeffrey's various accomplishments; he's smart, well liked, sporty, and fulfills his parents expectations. things are surely more complicated than that, but todd may frequently feel like he's lesser than his brother, and of the two of them, his brother is blessed in every conceivable way, perfect to the point that his excellence extends to every possible universe with him in it. this lyric is also a parallel to one that todd uses to describe himself, which ill get into later.

"in a web, he's praying" this is another lyric i believe to be todd describing jeffrey. this means multiple things; it could be in relation to the religious aspect of welton/todd's upbringing, perhaps about how in jeffrey's personal 'web', he's meeting their parents expectations of faithfulness. it could also be about jeffrey praying for him; i think of a young todd praying to god to make him better, to fix him somehow. who knows if jeffrey or his parents actually pray for such things, but todd wouldn't put it past them. he wonders if jeffrey wishes for a better brother, one more talented, more outgoing, less like todd.

"big plans, an orchard i could call my own; a bed, a roof, my savings" in this lyric, todd refers to himself and his future with wry sarcasm when he says he has "big plans", because despite the adventurous future his parents have set out for him, he knows he cannot fulfill them. it's not just that he knows they won't make him happy; it's that he knows no matter what he does or how hard he tries, he'll be a disappointment to them regardless. therefore, his actual "big plans"-- or what he sees as the only things he'll ever manage to achieve-- are simple: somewhere to sleep and a roof over his head, perhaps on a farm somewhere where he works to pay rent (there's nothing wrong with doing so, but in his parents minds, to do so would mark him as a failure forever). his idea of his future is bleak and drab, because he doesn't believe he can amount to anything worthwhile.

"like a spider catching nothing" this particular lyric was what first made me think of this as a todd song, but i did some digging on the symbolism and found it fits even more. i like to look at genius lyrics sometimes when im not sure what a lyric means, just to gain some perspective, even if the way i personally see it isn't the way the artist originally wrote it to be. (that's the great thing about music!) i was curious what the artist meant with this line, but couldn't find anything on it, so i looked it up on its own to see if it was a thing people had written about and found this article. (just want to make it clear-- i don't know anything about this website or it's religious connections, but i did think the article was cool!) one of the ways it describes the symbolism of the spider really resonated with me in relation to Todd. it describes a spider's web as representing the mind and the string of consciousness, the complicated patterns being our thoughts. it also describes how presumably, early spiders were unable to differentiate between sticky and non-sticky webs, and so got caught in their own webs-- "unsuccessful spiders". it's with this perspective that i relate this line to todd. todd is so frequently anxious and caught up in his own thoughts that he finds himself paralyzed with indecision or making the wrong choice, too entangled in his own web to get free. what should be his safe space is instead another trap for him to spiral into, and what should be natural for him is instead the very thing that trips him up (social norms, relationships, self-esteem, etc etc). i use "should be" very loosely here because that's not necessarily true, but it's the way todd has been told he should be. he is an unsuccessful spider, catching nothing yet spinning web after web anyways with no end, getting entangled in his own trap. his web is a metaphor for many things: his anxiety, his self-esteem, etc.

"caught up in the highest corner of the room" while this line alludes once again to the spider metaphor, it also outlines how todd distances himself from other people, either by choice or circumstance. whether he wants to or not, he feels he doesn't belong/connect with other people, and sits on the outskirts instead. he doesn't know how to fit in socially even though he wants to build friendships, and convinces himself it's safer to stick to the sidelines anyways, even though it makes him unhappy. not only this, but it's hard for him to relate to other people. he feels like no one understands him. i think specifically back on when he first moves to welton, and all the poets are hanging out in his and neil's room. though it isn't conscious, he's excluded for the most part. the others can percieve that he's different than them and act accordingly. it isn't out of malice, but it still hurts him. it even takes neil quite a bit before he truly gets todd and how he feels.

"spun out and staying" todd is exhausted with being on edge all the time, "spun out", but he doesn't know what to do to stop it because nobody understands. he's alone and feels there's nothing he can do to change it, so he stays where he is because it's the only thing he knows.

"i'll watch, pretending that they're watching me" todd watches the people around him attentively, perhaps jealous of what appears to him to be ease at connecting with others. he observes them as examples of what a 'normal' person looks like and tries to imitate them. wistfully, he pretends people see him back, and are paying attention to him, even though he finds himself fading into the background.

"got good technique in faking; schooled in every little universe" lo and behold, it's the parallel to jeffrey i mentioned earlier!! todd is well-practiced in pretending things are fine, or at the very least, going under the radar. this could also be in relation to how he hides many aspects of his personality from the people around him; ex: when he receives a second desk set from his parents, even though he feels frustrated and hurt, he doesn't tell them how he feels. the "every little universe" part is a callback to the previous lyric; he feels so inadequate that he doesn't believe there is a universe where he manages to meet anyone's expectations.

"well-taught in waiting" todd is used to this sense of stasis, perhaps waiting for someone to notice or care about him, or for something to look forward to when everything feels so insurmountable. consider the dead poets society meetings, practicing with neil, writing poetry, etc. he's practiced in dealing with the things around him by surviving off of morsels of hope.

"no shine, heaven takes a lot of work; i've heard some people saying" while todd feels that friendships and success come easily to other people (for example, jeffrey) he thinks bitterly that for someone like him, it would take a lot of effort to meet the world's expectations, work that would not look pretty. he believes this because he's heard the people around him saying these sorts of things as he grew up, essentially saying he needs to shape up and do the work to be the man they believe he needs to become. in tandem, they imply that he himself is a lot of work, and/or hard to deal with. the lack of support and understanding he receives for his mental health really shows how other people would treat him, especially his parents. having a loved one with mental health issues is a learning process, one that im afraid nobody was willing to go through for todd until he meets the poets.

"they see what they wanna see" todd believes that no matter what he does, he will always be seen as a failure, as inherently wrong. nothing will ever change that, and he's exhausted with bothering to try, so he feels resigned to his reputation. no one will understand him, so why try explaining himself or connecting with others?

"i stick to diabolatry, it's my breed" diabolatry is defined as "the act of worshiping demons and devils." i see this as reference to both his sexuality and mental health struggles, both of which are attributed to the devil and satanic practices throughout history. todd and the people around him try to ignore these things about him, but deep down todd can't escape them; they're part of him. diabolatry is "(his) breed" because his anxiety, depression, and sexuality are part of who he is.

"planting empty seeds" todd is repeatedly told both through words and actions that the things he cares about are worthless and paltry, and that they won't result in success, which is what his family thinks matters most. anything other than what they expect of him is an empty waste of time that will never grow into anything substantial, so he shouldn't invest in it at all.

"everything is bad in me" the last new lyric, and this one is pretty self-explanatory. the whole song culminates in todd's ultimate belief: that he is the thing that's wrong, not the world around him. he expresses his frustrations, but when push comes to shove he knows that it's him that is the problem, and he's foolish for blaming anything else, but he can't help it. (of course, we know that's not true, but things aren't that simple for him.)

i hope you all enjoyed!! this was a fun dive into todd's character for me and an explanation of how it feels to deal with severe anxiety when the people around you don't understand/think you're just overreacting. it's something ive dealt with all throughout my life, especially from family, no matter how well-intentioned they were. let me know your thoughts!! :)

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[ilikekidsshows]

I know you’re more of an “Adrien centered” criticism/defense blog but I am curious about your opinion on this.

What is your opinion on the “Chloe deserves/doesn’t deserve redemption” situation or the “Chloe wasn’t meant to be redeemed and there for what happened to her is fair game” stance?

---

My thoughts on the Chloé situation are kinda complex. Back when the show only had three seasons, I did think Chloé’s character trajectory made sense. Sure, she’d saved people when she was acting as Queen Bee, but she still treated her classmates the same. In fact, she started treating Sabrina worse than before because she considered being anything other than Queen Bee hanging out with Ladybug was slumming it. For me, it really was a 50/50 on whether or not Chloé would be redeemed or fall into actual villainy.

Because, here’s how I saw it: I didn’t think Chloé was an actual villain-villain in seasons 1-3. She was Marinette’s school nemesis and a decidedly defanged one. Marinette was scared of her exactly once, in Origins, a flashback episode meant to showcase how much more confident being Ladybug has made Marinette that she views Chloé as small potatoes. The season 3 finale could have been the culmination of an arc where Marinette accidentally causes Chloé to become a villain and ally herself with Hawk Moth in the future.

And it would have been caused by Marinette, even if unintentionally. It would have shown how good intentions can have unforeseen consequences, especially when you don’t know what you’re helping someone with or what they want before you do so. Marinette doesn’t really understand what she’s trying to help people with whenever she does try to be helpful, because she assumes what they want and need instead of asking and listening (like in Reflekdoll, the latter part of Ikari Gozen and Quilt Trip). Many heroes create their own villains this way, and Marinette could have done so as well since she was the one to strengthen Chloé’s bond with the person who taught her to be an entitled bully and then she dragged her feet on whether or not she could use the Bee Miraculous.

The season 3 finale shows Chloé brought to a new low. The following New York Special gives us a glimpse of a Chloé who is withdrawn, like she’s reconsidering her life. This could have led to Chloé deciding that she would have revenge on Ladybug for leading her on and then dumping her (as a teammate). But, it could have also have led to Chloé realizing that, while Ladybug wasn’t her friend, Sabrina was, and she pushed the latter away in pursuit of being the Bee Miraculous holder. Chloé could have gained new insight that would have led her to start working on how she treats those closest to her, finally starting to treat her schoolmates with decency and, maybe, with time, kindness.

Then season 4 came along and all that foreshadowed introspection was dumped out the window in favor of having Chloé do cartoonishly stupid school antagonist character things. In season 4, where this kind of hijinks are so incredibly low-stakes that it’s both laughable to see, and laughable to realize the writers think this is good television.

I think the writers realized this too, because then comes season 5 with the retcon that, actually, Chloé is an evil mastermind who is so heinous that she orchestrated a traumatic event that led to Marintette’s character flaws and therefore Marinette should be forgiven for her flaws and Chloé blamed for them. Never mind the damage this episode does to Kim’s character, turning him from an oblivious to jock to a total creep, it also tries to convince us that Chloé is this big threat despite that it happened at least a year ago in-universe and that she had never done anything even close to this bad since. It just makes no sense when contrasting with the early seasons, where Marinette treats Kim as just one classmate among many and Chloé as a low-threat nuisance.

The problem was that they decided that they didn’t want Marinette to hold any responsibility for anything she does anymore. This is why they wrote the episode ‘Derision’, to absolve Marinette of all responsibility in her stalking of Adrien, even though them making it a serious trauma response instead of a cartoon-logic joke means that now she absolutely should take responsibility for her behavior and get therapy. Because they wanted to give Marinette a retroactive justification, the episode just doesn’t mesh with the rest of the show. But, like, the writing in Miraculous seasons 4-5 is so bad it’s of course never just about a single episode, it’s all about how the Miraculous writers don’t know how to build up arcs that then come to a logical conclusion, which is why all their story arcs’ endings fall flat and leave viewers thinking “where’s the rest of it?” when they’re not considered one of the worst finales for a show.

Basically, making Chloé a villain could have worked, but it would have required her getting built up into such a status. The Chloé of seasons 1-3 isn’t a monster, she’s a brat. But the writers didn’t want to do that work despite wanting that story, thinking some repetitive episodes of Chloé being a brat some more will accomplish the same thing. So, Chloé just keeps performing petty bullying until the writers think the viewers forgot that she’s like this because of her mother, who Marinette reunited her with, all the while pretending the woman who calls her by the wrong name to her face on purpose has done nothing wrong as a parent other than “leave”, before she randomly turns on Miss Bustier and starts working with Hawk Moth for supposedly no reason in Collusion.

And, like, the thing that really grinds my gears is that it worked. So many people forgot that Chloé’s bullying was modeled to her by her mother, who Marinette reunited her with. Marinette repeatedly tries to fix abused kids’ relationships to their parents with no regard for how that could harm them in the long run (Adrien, Chloé and Kagami). It’s a pattern, but the show thinks Marinette’s missteps shouldn’t be pointed out because she “had good intentions” when her intentions in the instances of The Bubbler, Style Queen and Ikari Gozen were nothing more than: “Well, my parents are great, so these kids are obviously safe with the parents I just saw make them miserable!” The accusing finger for Chloé’s behavior should be pointed at Audrey. Marinette being “triumphant” over Chloé because Chloé is now stuck with the abuser who made her is already iffy without the added grossness of Marinette being the one who reunited them in the first place.