#it’s just. CLEARLY the death and suffering of so many ppl isn’t enough to make the us stop helping israel

[bodymachine]

the disgusting way israel is like ‘it’s not our fault that we bombed so many homes and hospitals bc we had to do it bc hamas is hiding under there.’ and ‘we’re not committing genocide bc we decided at one point during this…whatever-you-call-it to let civilians evacuate. now since we’re displacing people we can continue destroying everything they rely on for survival…in peace.’ and ‘we were so fucking shaken by that day where over 1,000 people were killed so can you really blame us for killing over 23,000 people over the course of 100 days? and thank youuu for choosing not to see all the oppression we did over the last 75 years. clearly if anything it’s hamas that’s doing genocide.’ like. and you believe that?!!? it’s so bad it’s so so so so so so bad that people are nodding along and sympathizing with this stuff. i’m genuinely so confused as to how people can be swayed by any claim or argument made by israel.

[ethernetchord]

lets talk: popular iwwv criticism

(disclaimer: i know criticism is subjective and thats why im doing this, i wanna look at some common points made against iwwv and dissect them just a little bit in the opposite direction. also none of this is directed at any individual- it’s all based on the general talking points i’ve seen surrounding the book.)

SPOILER WARNING !!

lack of exploration into james and oliver (+ gay characters feel performative)

i’ve seen loads of people say that oliver and james’ relationship felt very performative, a way of including the queer romnce which clearly is very important to the plot but not actually giving it any space in the novel, nor developing it to the same extent which meredith/oliver was.

oliver and meredith had a very strictly physical relationship and while he did love her, he wasn’t in love with her the way he was with james. the juxtaposition in the way that oliver/james is delivered and the way meredith/oliver is delivered is, i believe, far too repetitive to not be intentional. i actually realised upon re-reading how much focus there really is on meredith’s sexuality, even in subtleties in the book. meredith and oliver get more blatant sex scenes, get more physical parts because oliver was (to an extent) using his attraction to meredith to distract himself from his infatuation with james.

we also have to remember that oliver and james didn’t get their real moment of honesty about their relationship till extremely late into the book. i’d honestly see it as more ‘performative’ to then after or in the middle of kind lear throwing in some wild sex scene between the two. it wouldn't have fit.

“why didn’t james and oliver get together earlier then >:(((“ because the slow burn between them, the subtext, the subtle-ness, the yearning, they were all crucial to the decision which oliver made at the end. the fact that they burned so bright for each other but (oliver particularly) were so desperately repressed, that was what made this such a tragic romance. yes its tiring to read stories about queer people being repressed, yes its tiring to see the bury your gays trope. but like oliver says, it goes beyond gender.

if oliver’s second love interest was a girl, and treated this way, we’d be a lot more on board with these tropes- but the fact that james is a man, and this therefor becomes a queer relationship, makes it feel performative. i can’t convince you of anything- but i like to believe that their relationship being treated like this not only makes it so much more “heart wrenching because why! why couldn’t it work out, why couldn’t it be better!” - not because its a queer relationship but because they were soulmates.

alexander wasn’t performative. not in the slightest, rio just didn’t make being gay his entire identity. same goes for colin. just because they’re queer doesn’t mean it needs to be the only thing about them. this isn’t a lgbt novel- characters dont have to be gay just for plot. they can just be gay.

i’ve also seen people complain about not just making oliver bisexual. guys. did you read the book? he was bisexual. he was emotionally and physically attracted to both meredith and james. guys that’s literally what bisexual means.

i'm totally on board with the coming out scenes! and realisation of feelings and all that stuff- but again, not an lgbt centric novel and also- these were things oliver probably did and realised far before this book. remember that its set in 4th year, at an art school. he knew he was fruity ok. not every queer character in every queer book have to have these grandious coming out scenes or realisations. the lack there of doesn’t equal performance.

the ending was rushed and bad

believe what you will, but i don’t think james is dead. there’s a little too much ambiguity in that ending, in the extract he leaves oliver, in the “his body was never found.” so if your main quarrel with the ending is that “bury your gays” situation- please know there’s a chance- and that giving it that chance opens up so much more discussion and reader response.

yes, the ending is sad. but it’s not rushed. “but that is how a tragedy like ours or king lears breaks your heart- by making you believe the ending might still be happy until the very last second.” doing king lear, doing macbeth, doing romeo and juliet, the plays are chosen not only for reader convenience (they’re plays readers will most likely be familiar with) but also because they all, so very deeply, foreshadow a “bad” ending. killing james, makes sense. as much as people don’t want to hear it, from an authorial perspective- from the reader’s perspective and as a human being it makes sense. why do keep arguing that he “should’ve stayed alive for oliver” or that “if he really loved oliver he wouldn’t have done it” - why are we limiting a character’s entire existence down to their love interest. yes, they were best friends, yes they were set up as lovers but that doesn’t mean that that would be enough to keep james around. james was a fragile character- he was always checking with oliver if he had upset him, he was always worried, overthinking, james wasn’t strong minded- and he was suffering. the only person he had left to depend on was in prison, he was plagued with the guilt of causing the death of a classmate and letting oliver take the blame, if he did kill himself, it sure as hell doesn’t have any reason to sound forced.

“its not nearly as good as the secret history!!!!”

to be honest here buds, why the fuck do we keep comparing them so insistently. they are not the same book. iwwv wasn’t trying to be tsh 2.0, yes there are similarities because hey! guess what! books in similar genres tend to do that! always comparing it tsh when they have different motives, different plots and vastly different execution makes no sense. the only reason that they are compared is because tumblrtm dark academics like to group the two together. and yea- makes sense, but stop trying to belittle iwwv because it isn't as grandiose as tsh, because it’s a little more literal, because it’s not as intertextual as tsh. half the people saying iwwv isn’t as good as tsh are practically just subtly going “shakespeare isn’t as complicated as ancient greek huehue” stop forcing the two together and let them be separately appreciated.

the characters were flat/archetypes/etc

sigh. okay.

these characters are actors. this book shows us their transition from themselves entirely into a conjunction of the roles they’ve played and the stereotypes they’ve portrayed.

“we were so easily manipulated - confusion made a masterpiece of us.”

“for us, everything was a performance”

“imagine having all your own thoughts and feelings tangled up with all the thoughts and feelings of a whole other person. it can be hard, sometimes, to sort out which is which.”

“far too many times i had asked myself whether art was imitating life or if it was the other way around”

“it’s easier now to be romeo, or macbeth, or brutus, or edmund. someone else.”

are you seeing it now? this focus on their archetypes, this focus on the character they are; the way they see themselves not merely as human but as a walking concoction of every character they have turned into and out of. they depend on their archetypes to give them meaning. rio uses these archetypes to remind us of the submersion of her characters. they weren’t flat, their intentional lack of dimension due to their pasts is what makes them so intricate. furthermore, there's an evident subversion- the tyrant becomes a victim, the hero becomes a villain (they all become villains really), the ingenue becomes corrupted. like mentioned before, i think we forget ourselves easily reading this book but there is a great deal of emphasis on this being their last year- which is so important. the damage has been done and a lot of the issues people have with the content (or lack thereof) in this book has to do with the fact that it’s all things that would have occurred in books focusing on previous years at delletcher.

“it didn't live up to expectation” (also leading on from read tsh to this and being ‘disappointed’)

i cant argue this because its entirely subjective. whatever expectation was created for you, i cannot know that and appropriately respond however- if you liked the secret history and understood the secret history then there's a good chance you also liked and understood this book- even if not to the same extent but you must be able to recognize the authorial approach and its significance. i think a lot of ppl read iwwv (and a lot of “dark academia” texts and films) and hope to be able to romanticize the aesthetic or the concepts and then are disappointed when they are presented with mildly unlikeable and overwhelmingly human characters who aren’t easy to romanticize.

a great majority of these books are criticisms of the very culture you’re trying to romanticize, and the only time you’re willing to admit that is when boasting about the ‘self-awareness’ of the people indulging in them, and then a moment later complain about those same qualities because they don’t serve this idealized expectation.

bad rep for arts/liberal arts/ humanities students as being pretentious/cultish

as a humanities student with a great love for eng lit- all of these things are indeed pretentious and cultish. not all the time and not always and not every person- but it is a common theme. academia is overwhelmingly obsessive and extremely white-washed. people become so fast to believe that they are indulging in finer arts and are therefore a higher standard of person. academia is problematic. and the recent influx of people interested in it is good, very good because hopefully, we’ll be more diverse, more open-minded, more accepting. that's what i hope at least. if you know, as an individual, that you’re not a pretentious academic who places themselves above non-academics then that's wonderful- but there are dangers and negative sides to academia that need to be understood so that we can see to not perpetuating them.

i cant refute all points, mostly because there's a lot of good and well-explained criticism because no book is perfect. and my intentions are not to belittle anyone's opinion. these are merely opposing arguments, food for thought and to be fair- a critical look into why not everything is always going to be what we expect of it and why every ‘problem’ can be assessed.

[o-king-of-suns]

Hi ^^ I've recently found ur blog and read ur meta. Ur analysis is great! I'm kinda new here but I've seen so many ppl talk about Levi's guidebook page, referring to it as "the confirmation of what Levi was solely fighting for in the final battle i.e revenge by fulfilling the promise" I'm sorry if this has been pointed out before but as a Levi fan who believes otherwise, I'd love to read ur interpretation. Also u also believe the GB is implying this? I think ppl are having the wrong impression.

Hi! :) Thank you so much! I am glad you liked my meta! English is not my first language, so I try my best to express what I want to say.

Almost everyone agrees that the final guidebook is just an ABSOLUTE hot garbage! xD At this point that no one is taking seriously anymore! xD It straight up contradicts what happens in the manga, has VERY reductive and nonsensical descriptions of the characters and is FULL of errors.

The main reason to why many people have issues with Levi’s part (apart from it having nothing new or because it mainly focused on the promise) is one word that was used in the text that has been translated by some biased people into “obsessed”.

I asked 3 Japanese people (including my teacher) about the word that was used in the text and the meanings that I was given were: (be) dedicated to; have an uncompromising commitment to ; to really focus on; to be determined to; etc. From what I understood, this term is always a headache as it truly depends on what the writer wants to convey and what it “feels” right in the context. "Obsessed” is like, the most reductive reading of that word, and it's the exact word that Er_ris chose to use xD

Japanese is often qualified as vague, and it CAN leave room for interpretation. For example, the word (きれい) Isayama used to say Levi was the opposite of Rorschach could mean "pretty" or "clean" based on the context, but here's the thing: Rorschach is notoriously ugly, so it makes sense that Isayama meant that Levi is "pretty" (and it IS officially translated to "pretty" ), but I have seen MANY Japanese people say that Isayama meant "clean" not “pretty”! This word meaning in the text literally and solely depended on Isayama's intention even causing translators to get confused and translate it to “pretty”! If we look at the context of Levi’s character description in the last gb, the last line mentions that after his final mission, Levi “meets his friends with a calm heart”. Why would Levi be able to meet his friends with a “calm heart” if his entire arc was about him being “obsessed” with a personal goal and revenge?! Is this why he salutes them and they salute him back in the final chapter?! I am 100% sure that the word “obsessed” was not the one that the person who wrote the description wanted to use.

Now let’s stop talking about language translation and focus on Levi in the manga xD Is the gb version Levi the same Levi whom Isayama described as "as an existence more superior to myself" during Levi’s statue reveal just last March?!

You know, when I asked my native Japanese teacher to help me translate Isayama's statement about Levi, she sent me a 4 minute voice note breaking down the terms Isayma used and explaining how much respect the person speaking (Isayama) has for the person he's talking about (Levi). I was embarrassed to tell her that the person he’s speaking about is actually a fictional character lol

Isyama used 頭 の上がらない which literally means “can’t raise someone’s head” but it actually means “can’t raise someone’s head in front someone else for how much respect they have for this person”

Now let’s look at Levi’s actions in the manga to see if we can reach to the same conclusion.

Levi is one of, if not the most, perceptive characters in SNK. In one the official short stories, he was described as a person who is able to “know the true nature of Man”. For Levi, Zeke is a man who cheered with satisfaction as he threw rocks through fifteen year olds. He’s the person who nonchalantly explained to Levi the process of gassing an entire village of unsuspecting civilians and flinging them into an eternal nightmare in order to weaponize their bodies. Zeke’s manipulations are the origin of almost all of Paradis’ problems, whether it’s encouraging Marley to ramp up aggressions or pulling shady shit with Kiyomi, Yelena and the Jaegerists that destabilizes their already vulnerable island. And what’s worse - because we’re reading a story where torn-up characters are often excused by circumstances of coercion or perceived necessity - he doesn’t care. He feels no remorse. He wants to do this. Levi doesn’t know Zeke’s ultimate reasoning of course, but he recognized through the smoke of the campfire a man who doesn’t give a fuck about the wishes and agency of others. Who will force his own will on a race of humans and call it mercy. AND YET, Levi stays with him for  A WHOLE MONTH in the forest bringing him books, drinks and a pillow to sit on. He keeps asking him about what happened in Connie’s village trying over and over to understand him. And then the guy transforms Levi’s own teammates in front of him, forces him to kill them and taunts him with their suffering. Levi perceives a person who’s arrogant enough to consider his cruelty compassion as he decides whether the lives of their children are worth living.YET, Levi decided to keep him alive because he believed that it is what’s the best for Paradis; a decision that eventually caused Levi’s severe injuries and the activation of the Rumbling!

During the final battle, Levi offered to act as a bait for Mikasa so she can try to bring back Armin and risks his life TWICE to save Jean and Connie risking his chances to ever fulfill his promise to Erwin.

Please tell me now that these are actions of an “obsessed” man who is only focused on killing Zeke and revenge.

The first time Levi mentions the vow after the time skip, he says: “Erwin, I think I will be finally able to fulfill the vow I made to you that day. Your deathS had meaning. At last I will be able to prove it”  Levi clearly associates giving meaning to his comrades’ deaths WITH fulfilling his vow to Erwin. This is the line that proves that the vow has always meant something more.

Levi made a promise that came to represent the fulfillment of the goal all his former Survey Corps comrades laid down their lives for. Slaying the Beast Titan took on symbolic stature, a tangible way of giving their sacrifices meaning - especially in a world where the circumstances had drastically shifted and enemies, allies, and other were suddenly seen from a completely different perspective.

In Ch. 136, Levi remembers his friends and reflects upon their sacrifices and what they meant. They did not sacrifice their lives to “trample the lives and hearts of others”.

We never got a SINGLE panel in which he says that he fulfilled his promise! In the last apparition of his fallen comrades, Erwin isn’t even in the center. He salutes his fallen comrades for devoting their hearts for humanity and they salute him back for honoring their sacrifices.

If there is one thing that Levi was “obsessed” about, it is him trying to give meaning to the deaths and sacrifices of the people who truly devoted their hearts to humanity and whom he truly loved

[autogyne-redacted]

Long covid post:

I keep seeing posts about how there's a shortage of workers because everyone died and I see that take as so out of touch with the actual scale of covid.

So I wanted to share some basic numbers:

2,854,838 people died in 2019 (which isn't an outlier)

572k more people died in 2020 (right around a 20% increase).

Estimates I've found out the covid attributed deaths at around 350k (so 12.3% of that 20% came from covid and 7.7% from other sources of that figure is accurate).

Statistics are a mess and it's completely possible the covid death figure is high or low, but it would it's unlikely it'd be off by enough to change the general scale of these figures.

.

.

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People have made comparisons to the Black plague,

which is estimated as having killed 30-60% of Europe's population.

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The US population is around 332million, so deaths on that scale would be 100-199million deaths.

IE 285-569 times as many deaths as covid has caused.

.

The highest reported per capita death rate in a country is in Hungary which had about .3 of a percent of it's country die from covid. (Here I'll once again mention that we are almost certainly missing data).

But with that figure, we're still talking about 1/100th or 1/200th of the scale of the black plague.

.

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55million deaths world wide per year is the latest non-covid figure I can find.

If worldwide covid deaths have been massively undercounted they might make up 10 or 15% of that figure.

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What does that even mean though?

If you know people who have died from covid (or otherwise suffered from covid) mourning that absolutely makes sense.

(I don't. I mostly know lots of ppl who have been fucked over by quarentine)

.

Being invested in the population size is some biopolitics shit, ultimately.

Death happens, sometimes faster and sometimes slower. Covid was a relatively minor uptick.

Scale is really hard to grasp, but the leap to talk about it as a plague is (imo) clearly ppl just eating up and regurgitating propaganda.

[cosmosrival]

there it is! kama interlude analysis by a kama fan!

WELL. LIKE IT SAYS IN THE TITLE: this is just my own thoughts!! youre free to think whatever u want !! i am just putting my own knowledge into words because i genuinely love kama, and i would like for kama’s depth to be understood by the NA fandom a little more!! i try to stay as close as possible to their character in everything i do because i believe that the more in character they are, the funnier/more interesting content ppl will produce. 

and hopefully i understood them well ???!!!! HOPEFULLY ?!

i will be screenshotting the translated reddit post under this read more and stop whenever something i find interesting to develop pops up ! or else it’ll get way too long lol if you wanna read the interlude for yourself heres the link!

with that said, let’s go!!

kama’s interlude begins with guda passing the hell out because of exhaustion and then waking up in a dream sequence where kama treats them to some relaxing adventures, stuff to take their mind off heavy things!! first dream sequence is kama roleplaying a highschool setting where they’re dating.

i like this because they openly admit that its an illusion, breaking the immersion but as long as youre okay with roleplaying, they’ll continue it LOL  at some point, caesar mentions the student council president and arjuna appears behind him 

since this is an illusion that kama made, i’ve been wondering about the fact that the way servants conduct eachother in this interlude is mostly because that’s how kama envisions they would act in a highschool setting, in an amusement park and finally with eachother (mostly for confirmed couples such as siegbryn, consort yu and her hubby etc...). suzuka and sei being gyarus is obvious, but arjuna as the student council president... is so cute???!!! i MEAN IT FITS ?! THATS A GREAT IDEA KAMA!!!! ANYWAY

this is kama’s first monologue and since they’re primarily the god of lust, all of the more vanilla stuff they mentions such as sharing a pair of headphones embarrasses them since its so tame. ITS CUTE !!! kama expects you to be horny in class !! what are you doing thinking about hand holding !!! medusa saves u from that tho with a direct reference to her relationship with kama’s vessel 

this is interesting !! and reassuring !!! i think that kama as a character has a lot of depth and just reducing them to “sakura” would be a waste and this interlude shows how different they are from her. but they’re also similar! sakura went through a lot just like medusa says and kama does have trauma related to shiva. its not the same circumstances but the same kind of suffering which explains the nuance here. and what i like about chaldea is that there’s been multiple instances where its been proven that servants can grow thanks to their relationships with guda (most common example: leveling up your bonds) BUT ALSO, saint graph evolution (alts). and as a kama fan i’d like to see them happy someday and this interlude as a whole is proof of their healing/coping because of the time they spent in chaldea and how they interact with others. more on that later ! here, they don’t recognize medusa which is normal since they’re not sakura (someone else entierly), but...

they care about her ! because of sakura’s influence being a part of the servant called Kama(assassin). the difference here is important !! but i’ll come back on this in a bit. quick mention to the greek cupid <3 kamadusa nation we were fed (i clap by myself because im the only one who has 57575757557 kama rarepairs-----)

kama is a delinquent whos horny in class but still takes a few notes, enough to do well on their tests! and thats tea<3 smart horny lazyass !! theyre a gift

SO ARJUNA WAS OUT FOR BLOOD ????? ANYWAY, this is right after the actual fight against weirdo terrorists, and im happy to know that kama DOES enjoy a good fight (as proven in their voicelines as well) but theyre not a farming unit because it’d be too much work (single target NP..)...!!!!!!! lavish god of love.... 

FINALLYYYYYYYYYYY THE REAL DEAL !!!!!!!!!!!! “it feels wonderful to be your girlfriend” christ, kamadeva was so used to being a husband and a good lover, it reflected in their servant version.... but ree what do u mean by servant version???

I MEAN THE OBVIOUS !! kama explains it very well in the screenie just above ! 

“You know very well how servants work.”

KAMA ASSASSIN (the servant in your chaldea) is neither KAMADEVA or SAKURA MATOU or MARA. they’re a MIX OF PARTS OF THE THREE. creating an entierly new person(in this case, servant) !!!! it might sound like i’m repeating myself, but this is important!!!!!!!!! i will say this multiple times so people remember it !!! and if u already had this figured out: GOOD JOB I LOVE U !!!

Kamadeva (the god) has many stories, ones where he was born from concepts (dharma and shraddha), one where his parents are brahma and sarasvati, one where his parents are vishnu and lakshmi, stories about his reincarnation after his death where his parents are krishna and rukmini, his love with Rati and so on. We all know Sakura’s backstory since this is nasuverse. And Mara is a demon, an entity that tried to corrupt Buddha and prevent him from reaching enlightenment/stray from the path. Kama assassin has parts from all of these entities which explains why they have a vague longing for Rati, why they have a soft spot for Medusa and why they have an affinity with Kiara(and also like talking about corrupting u !). 

they then mention how a japanese highschool setting is fun and all i have to say is: i’m gonna make an indo fam delinquent vs student council au out of this one folks !!!!!!!! i gotta !!! 

OK next

TIME FOR THE SECOND DREAM SEQUENCE WHICH I WAS VERY VERY VERRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY AFRAID OF BEFORE THE TRANSLATION CAME OUT.

THE PART WHERE KAMA ACTS LIKE YOUR CHILD.

well with their stage 1 it was expected but without the translation i have to say that i was scared shitless! because people hate thinking! and even if kama clearly tells you that it’s a charade, u know a JOKE. A DREAM SEQUENCE. DONT BE A CREEP. KAMA INTENDED FOR IT TO BE WHOLESOME. i know some ppl wont use their brains. but u know its fgo and degenerates are everywhere. 

anyways. family bonding time ensues until another monologue appears!!

exactly like before, kama mentions myths that belonged to kamadeva. Meaning that the Kama in our chaldea isn’t the Kamadeva we know and is not Pradyumna either but the fact that the writers chose to have kama acknowledge it is very reassuring !!! Because it means that they’ve chosen to make it a part of their (complicated) history. Kama says that Pradyumna is the myth about themself they know the least, once again proving us that the Kama in our Chaldea (Assassin) is a different entity and that they were summoned to the throne upon their death, the moment they were burned by Shiva’s flames and became Ananga, in any case they’re still familiar with all of their own myths. it allows us to keep heroic spirits separate from their original myths. Obviously! And in the case of pseudo-servants, it allows us to keep them separate from their vessels. Cuz this is a fanservice japanese game. Andddd the fandom likes forgetting this fact quite a lot i’ve noticed. As a person who loves thinking about tons and tons of headcanons for fun, this allows us a lot of space ! Because this is fate/grand order at its base. Nasuverse. 

I’m glad that the interlude explains it so clearly, it’s very good !! Because the majority of myths from every culture are confusing, family trees are confusing, names are confusing, powers and attributes are confusing... its a mess !!!! the fgo characters we know are just cut from their own respective timelines/historial figures so the writers can organize themselves more easily. Like cutting halves from a big cake. Kama (Assassin) is the Kama that died from Shiva’s flames and became the universe ONLY. In Nasuverse, Arthur Pendragon is a woman. Anastasia Romanov NEVER had a demon familiar named Viy in real life despite the creature being part of russian folklore. u know ! im russian i can testify dude !! 

hopefully everyone got this bc i wont be explaining this any further dude, its exhausting !!!!!! bangs my hands on the table !!!!! 

ANYWAYS kama mentions “eternal pain that turns [them] into ash” being their key element. Their trauma is at the center of their heroic spirit self, what they are as a servant. This suffering is tied to everything they do, why they’re so lazy, why they’re so lax, why they’re so detached from their job.  But they’re not detached from their role. And “job” and “role” have different connotations here. They refuse to work as a cupid because of obvious reasons. BUT. They’re not detached from their role as the God of Love, as the God of Passion. The embodiment of those feelings. This whole interlude is proof ! They’re giving u free therapy because they Love you. Passion. They feel your love. Passion. They acknowledge how much fun you’re having. How passionate you are about certain things. They might seem extremely detached and hateful, but they aren’t. They’re one of the most empathetic servants there is. And their ability to love everything, even the things they hate is what makes them so miserable. Because it’s a part of them. Because the concept of Kama in hinduism is linked to them. Be it lust or simply the passion born from anything you do where you’re enjoying yourself. (quote:  “ the term also refers to any sensory enjoyment, emotional attraction and aesthetic pleasure such as from arts, dance, music, painting, sculpture and nature “. R. Prasad (2008), History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization )

... I’d like to say that this contrast with Mara is interesting. And that i’m glad the writers chose to add in Mara to the kama assassin Beast mix. 

Because the anger Mara feels can become a drivepoint for Kama. I’ve always believed that anger and sadness are two sides of the same coin, it’d explain how layered Kama is and how valid their emotions are. Constantly torn between love and hate. An eternal grudge (i don’t deserve to be hurt like this) and an eternal misery(maybe i do deserve to be hurt like this). 

i wish they were my roommate <3 oh fuck ree got emotional wait where were we.

OH YEAH

i think kama saying that they dislike being involved with other indian servants because theyre linked to shiva is a feeble attempt at trying to keep up a strong front because they still love them in the end. cuz that’s how kama is ! after a while they’ll get bored of bullying ganesha and ashwatthama. they’ll get interested in rama because their respective mythos are linked even if their servant selves have no connection. hell, at the end of the interlude they talk about parvati and how they themself changed and realized things. BUT OH WELL, THATS STUFF FOR ANOTHER POST HEHE thats just ree wanting kama to b happy yall move along !!

.....THIS ISNT A COLLEGE STUDENTS ROLEPLAY BUT ITS A CUTE JAPANESE COMPANY BOSS/UNDERLING SETTING AND ITS CUTE SO I THINK KAMA WEARING A PENCIL SKIRT AND POURING U ALCOHOL IS CUTE. CUTE.

further proof of kama’s overflowing affection and what i detailed above!! hopefully u all knew this one simply from reading this interlude/their profile page and dont need me to write it down for u. HOPEFULLY !!!!!

(I START BEATBOXING VERY RAPIDLY AND RUNNING TOWARDS YOU) KAMA IS A SADIST AT THEIR CORE AND I WILL NEVER STOP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they’re easy to fluster because theyre not used to being so vanilla, but whats underneath is how they truly are !! a beast turned servant, the sweetest sadist !! theyre very mature and this interlude is so well written (wipes my teears

this is directly linked to what i explained above, by burning you away, you’ll melt into nothingness just like they did. When they were the universe, they felt both everything and nothing. 

But was it really relief ... ?

... IT WASNT.

AND PARVATI SAVES THE DAY !!!!!!! phew!! thank u paru, it’d still like to be able to touch kama’s huge titties and i cant do that if i turn into ashes (falls down the stairs

ok she summoned lovey dovey canon couples to annoy kama since they’re exhausted of seein them!!

...............(I TAKE OUT A KNIFE) TAKE THAT BACK. DONT TALK TO THEM LIKE THAT. TAKE THAT BACK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

ohhhhhh im obsessed i love when theyre angry<3 i love when theyre fighty <3 i think they should beat the living shit out of a boxing bag DAILY to let out some of this steam. they’d be a monster on the ring... aaa kama in training boot y shorts aa a .. .uughg hg ouu... (you all shove me into a locker)

ok this is interesting !! i think that the interlude showing us that parvati feels a semblance of guilt is character dev. proof for what i mentioned before!! in ookuu parvati felt quite ..unsympathetic to me, even if kama is a beast who wants to annihilate humanity, when u think about it, at their core their grudge is because of her and shiva’s betrayal. and here, she properly apologizes for making kama so upset. this is heartwarming to me since i dislike thinking that members of the indo fam hate eachother :( same goes for arjuna and karna, at some point i’d like for them to act like bros normally and finally be comfy. but anyways !!

u wake up from the dreams and da vinci, mashu and paru are here to tell u whats going on. But its fine bc u remember everything and u have to go thank someone for helping u out!!!

CUTE !!!!!!! THEY CARE ABOUT U !!!!!! but whether it be because of their role or because theres a deeper meaning is entierly up to your own interpretation because...

of what they say here. 

and here !! 

ohhhhhhhhh this is so important !!!!!!

this is actual proof of kama’s growth as a servant and how servants evolve in chaldea !! chaldea is not the same as a grail war, its a special, cut-off place and thats what makes it even more relaxing to think about. Everytime u summon a servant in ur chaldea u give them a chance to have fun with you, to have fun with other servants, to make amends, to start from scratch, to discover things they would’ve never known in their time (movies, video games, tons of different foods etc...), u give them a chance to relax. to grow !! this is the headcanon that im most attached to and im glad to see it be confirmed in the interlude of a character i love tbqh i had to stop and talk about that.

everyone say thank u kama !! can we roleplay a college roommate coffee shop slowburn au next time <3 

ANYWAYS if you’ve read it this far: thank you !!! im sorry if you expected something very serious, im not that type of person hehe im jus here to have fun and look at things i like, and the interlude itself was quite lighthearted and refreshing. By talking about the myths and all of kamadeva’s stories, the writers basically gave lore nerds a huge thumbs up like... “its ok now !! u can go ape now !! go be insane<3 love u<3″ and all of this kama characterization GENUINELY makes me so happy because i think they really needed that. kama assassin... (i blow a kiss to the sky) is a little mess of a servant... a god, human crumbs and a demon... a total mess... im in love with them...

..............tho now the wait for a summer alt where they interact with the entire indo fam begins (im sitting in a chair unmoving)(i have a gun in case minase begins acting gross

[prompt-master]

Would you be willing to share how you might rewrite Yukizome, Sakakura, and Munakata to make them likable characters (if not ppl Bc there’s a big difference)???

ahhhhhhh this ask got me so stupidly excited that I was like wavin my hands around. I think about how to rewrite their characters OFTEN. very often. I’m gonna go with likeable character over likeable people because I think they work better where they’re actually not that likeable people. 

The one I think about the MOST is Munakata. He was SUCH wasted potential and I partially blame the medium for that (a single season anime is too constrained for future, it needed more time and care to be a proper story). But Munakata is actually so close to being a compelling character but they made some MAJOR mistakes with him. This ended up getting really long and more like a 3 page ADHD ramble essay. SO IM VERY SORRY to anyone who cannot read this but TYTYTY if you did because these ideas make me very happy! Oh it’s only about Munakata btw because of how long it got

The thing about Munakata is that he is designed to be a foil to Naegi. In fact a majority of dr3 future FOCUSES on this foil dynamic. It is Naegi’s hope vs Munakata’s hope. The World’s hope vs The FF’s hope. And more importantly it is True Hope vs Corrupted Hope.

This is a fantastic concept...so why didn’t it work in canon? I think that the biggest most glaring issue with Munakata’s hope is his logic. Munakata is meant to be a logical man, although with corrupted morals that lead him astray. Yet in canon his logic is laughably infallible. For example as a major figure in the FF and someone who wants to spread hope....why would he tell Naegi to kill himself? More importantly why does he continue to try and slaughter Naegi? The issue here isn’t from the fact that he wants him dead but from the fact that he is under the IMPRESSION that this entire game is being broadcast to the world.

Think about this for a second. In Munakata’s eyes he is going to kill the Ultimate Hope, an international symbol of a better life, live on TV. He doesn’t just want to kill the Ultimate Hope..he wants to do it BRUTALLY as a MAJOR FIGURE OF THE FF. IMO this should have happened later on as the game furthers the emotional turmoil in Munakata’s head and he eventually snaps and gives in to the desire to kill Naegi despite the fact that this is live. And then there should be CONSEQUENCES for that. I wanted so badly a realization where Munakata realizes that he is hurting the Ultimate Hope in front of what he believes is the entire world. 

Another issue with Munakata’s logic is saying things such as...implying that the HPA KG was...just a game. I mean...people DIED. it's not hard to see how wrong that logic is. you can't say “this is the real world now” when what Naegi experienced WAS the real world. I think that this could be fixed through a bit of world building. DR3 Future is rather isolated from its world. We don’t really know much about the world and its dynamics. I think it would make perfect sense if the general public viewed the HPA KG as a tv show, they got numb to the sight and even those untouched by despair had a hard time connecting that these are REAL people suffering. With this previously established Munakata expressing that the KG was not real would make a lot more sense and play into his corrupted idea of hope. 

There is also Munakata’s connection to his other friends. Now I’ve talked about this before but the game was clearly designed to BREAK Munakata and Naegi. This way the FF would die, both the FF and World’s hope would be broken, and upon seeing this Mitarai would have no choice but to deploy his own forced hope. So it makes perfect sense that Yukizome’s death would break him (in fact if she hadn’t died in that way, her NG code was designed to be Munakata’s fault). But something about it felt...superficial. Again I think this is the mediums fault but it almost feels as though Munakata just forgets about Yukizome until later. I think they should spend more time establishing his pain and what he has lost and why this pushes him to kill. In his eyes if she can die then nothing else matters. It should be THE breaking point, not the first push. I do like the betrayal he feels towards realizing she had despair but it needed more time to fester. 

And his relationship with Sakakura also felt weak. In all honesty it was hard for me to feel as though they were ever friends. Sakakura is written as though he just follows Munakata like a loyal dog and Munakata just orders him around. Establish their relationship more! Why are they such good friends? Why is Sakakura important to him? And more importantly why did Munakata decide to cruelly gut Sakakura knowing he was about to confess? This is because he believed that Sakaura was despair and that his confession was more manipulation, but they didn’t show this well at ALL. Munakata just comes across as a major a-sshole who does not care. I also personally found it distasteful that when changing his heart Munakata only seemed to cry for Yukizome. I understand that was his love interest but Yukizome at the end of the day killed herself. Sakakura however was an unnecessary betrayal he took into his own hands AS HE HIMSELF KILLED HIM. He should have more guilt over that! Not just in that moment where he runs to Sakakura, but ahead of time as well! Maybe even DURING his rampage they could have shown him having moments of guilt but he is so absorbed in the idea that all despairs have to die that he doesn’t even realize he has become despair in the name of hope.

A BIG weakness on Munakata’s part comes with interacting with other characters. He is a man who should know how to take charge, lead, and doesn't know what to do when things are getting too crazy even though he THINKS he does. Munakata is heavily flawed, OBVIOUSLY flawed, but many of the interactions with him are as tho his rampage isnt a big deal. There should be reasons for this! Why do people trust Munakatas guidance so much? I dont know! All ive seen from him is that hes insane! Maybe even pieces where around others hes a lot nicer so you can understand why they follow him, even though hes ready to gut Naegi alive with a flaming katana. His interactions with others feel like the writers just wanted to see the next big evil thing they could think of, but for Munakata’s character this doesn't make sense because he was appointed a high status in the foundation for a reason. Maybe even have people say they disagree with some of his methods but at the end of the day he gets the job done!

There is another major missed opportunity here and it's why Muanakata wants Naegi dead so badly in the first place. The remnants. Hiding terrorists in the apocalypse is a PERFECTLY valid reason to want someone dead and think they're a bad guy! But I think since Naegis initial arrest was already so hostile and violent we get the sense that the FF is simply just...crazy. 

And let’s think about what Munakata WANTS from Naegi. He does not just want Naegi dead he wants something worse. He wants Naegi to suffer first. He thinks that Naegi doesnt understand his own personal pain. He thinks that because Naegi protected the remnants he must also not care about the suffering the remnants caused. He wants Naegi to feel despair and then die. This is important to his corrupted hope. He thinks the suffering must be shared in order to understand who must die, but he is creating a cycle of pain. Tie this back to the broadcasting issue. He wants Naegi to break for everyone to see. I think..and this is just a concept..I think it would have been a great idea for Munkata to force Naegi to watch the despair video so that he has no choice but to understand. 

AND themes are majorly important to Danganronpa. And I don’t think its a stretch to say that there are parallels between Munakata and Naegi. In fact I would say that there are aspects of the og trio in this new trio. I think it would have been really cool if they showed how our favorite trio could have ended up if they had been corrupted as well. But the parrellels dont stick strongly. I think it would have been cool to show a past where Munakata’s idealism lies more strongly than Naegis. As the student council president there was a time where he himself had to use his words to solve problems. Perhaps he learned that sometimes his words made things worse. Munakata does not have Naegi’s talent of emotional intelligence. He is a man of action over words. So he interprets this as WORDS being the problem rather than understanding he does not have these skills. Especially when the apocalypse breaks out, it becomes all action over words. So he sees Naegi who is all talk as a genuine threat who will let everyone die through his “weak ineffective” idea of hope. 

Another parallel could be drawn from the fact that they both have hope based careers. Their job is too keep things hopeful. Maybe Naegi stays safe doing public broadcasted speeches, while Munakata is on the field weeding out despairs. This would cause Munakata to feel as though Naegi is doing no real work yet getting all the credit for being a savior.

Munakata constantly complains that Naegi does not know true pain. But he and we as an audience have followed Naegi through his entire process of trauma. We know he is in the wrong. But what do we as an audience know about Munakata’s suffering? We are shown almost nothing! There are some implications, but for how intense he is implications are not enough. We need to see his suffering. We should see how he has witnessed death. Yukizomes death is not nearly enough for this because he talks as though he has suffered for years. How can we as an audience understand that when we have never seen it? How can we understand Munakata when he is outright denying Naegi’s trauma that we KNOW existed with no proper justification for his reasoning?

I also believe that Munakata should have died. It actually upsets me a bit that he was PLANNED to die but didn't. He should have died protecting Naegi after all that suffering and relentless brutality he offered him. Munakata again is a man of action over word, and protecting Naegi with his last breath is the perfect way to show how in the end he changed. Especially when all he wanted initially was for Naegi to die. I find that much more satisfying than just…...walking off to who knows where.

So lets recap some changes. Munakata needs a proper display of his past traumas and his relationship with Sakakura and Yukizome. Munakata needs a proper display of his work relationships and the respect he has earned. Munakata needs to fall into corruption at a better pace, and have geniune reasons for his illogical attacks on Naegi. Munakata needs to care more for his friends. Munakata needs to deal with the turmoil of wanting to hurt Naegi while he believes the world is watching. Munakata needs to die for Naegi

This has gotten long...and I still have things to say. There is so much to make Munakata a good character. Future had a lot of potential and is amazing for a rewrite concept. As for Sakakura and Yukizome since this has gotten long feel free to ask for another round of this individually when asks are open again! If you read all of this somehow….TYSM

[silenthillmutual]

i know i have a film blog i could talk about this on but no, i watched a five hour twenty minute movie so you’re going to hear me talk about it!!

talking about novecento below the cut (it’s that film ppl keep going “these look like artemy and daniil” for the patho ppl following me)

learning that novecento was supposed to be like a miniseries makes a lot of sense in part because of its length and in part because of all the things it clearly wanted to do but couldn’t. like, for example, it clearly wanted to focus not just on alfredo and olmo but on attila, and this winds up not working out in the film’s favor for a couple of reasons.

for one, alfredo’s and olmo’s scenes without each other establish their characters as flawed human beings, but attila’s scenes just establish him as cartoonishly evil. i don’t think people really need to be hand-fed the idea that fascists are bad people, but i think the way they really hammed up his character detracts from the film’s later point that fascism isn’t something that comes on all at once but is built up through years of people sitting by and profiting off others’ work and doing nothing about the evil around them. the literal fascist acting inhumanly sadistic makes it look like “oh you’ll know for sure when you see something evil dw about it :)”.

the infamous cat scene and the scene regina at alfredo’s wedding really didn’t develop the character or the story in any way and there was no reason to make the viewer sit through something so explicit and unpleasant. it really wasn’t any different from the torture porn in films like hostel. we know that attila is evil, we don’t need to be shown any of that shit in graphic detail? those moments could have been better spent establishing why alfredo bothered putting up with attila in the first place, or establishing what exactly ada saw in attila that she didn’t like that would have added depth to two other characters in the film.

for two, the time those scenes took really should have gone to developing other characters or relationships. anita was done so dirty by the narrative and i would like to have seen more exploration of the friendship between the two couples, between alfredo and his father, between alfredo and olmo as adults that lead to them falling out, or as i said earlier to explaining why alfredo put up with attila in the first place when he’s clearly not fond of the guy himself.

a miniseries would have given the film more time to explore both the working-class and the upper-class, since clearly bertolucci was interested in exploring the working class specifically. i think the story could have benefited from expanding on how the working class in the film came to find socialism to being w and how anita and olmo worked to encourage people to learn more about it and unionize.

in general i think the film really falls flat on interesting things that i could have done either as a miniseries or if bertolucci had prioritised better. potentially unpopular opinion but the director wasn’t strong enough to carry a film that focused so many themes at once and really should have made the central focus either the class tension between two friends from very different backgrounds, or on the clash between fascism and socialism during the 1900s in italy.

i say bertolucci wasn’t strong enough to pull off both because both aspects wind up suffering greatly by the film sloppily bouncing between the two. there are huge swaths of time where olmo and alfredo don’t talk to each other at all and the absence between them is never explained or brought up as a point of tension. like, when alfredo finds olmo going through his father’s things, it’s never explained what he’s looking for or why, and olmo brings up that alfredo’s been gone for a month. alfredo’s upset to hear about anita’s death during childbirth, but there was no expansion on the friendship between the two couples past them all meeting ada for the first time. olmo doesn’t seem upset about alfredo’s absence, but he doesn’t show up at alfredo and ada’s wedding, and the two barely interact with each other up until the point where olmo shows up at the house to find his daughter, now old enough to be learning to read and write.

it’s hard to see their friendship as the focal point of the film when their actual friendship stops being the film’s focus around the time ada is introduced and so much of their interactions are put on the backburner in favor of other things. ada’s a very interesting character, probably the only character in the film who’s not entirely static, but even her relationship building up with alfredo isn’t really...explored? at all?

actually past showing alfredo and olmo as children and then olmo returning from the war, the film does a horrible job at showing the passage of time.

and since i’ve brought up anita it is just kinda fucked up how she’s introduced immediately as a love interest - not as a character w her own personality, but as a love interest - given exactly one character trait (she’s a socialist!), before she’s suddenly pregnant, meets ada, and is killed offscreen in childbirth. they did fucking nothing with her and that’s just. infuriating.

anyway i think a miniseries would have fit the story better bc then there would have been actual time to delve into the concepts the film really wants to explore but can’t. it wouldn’t have fixed all the issues with it - like, what happens to anita? and the graphic shit they have attila do? those weren’t necessary in general - but it would have fixed a couple of things about it.

[haogender]

some people have recommended me to read a little life, but after reading your tags i am very confused dkbxjxbfjfj why some ppl love it and some despise it?

i have hard time understanding why people like it at all cause its such a horrible book... this is gonna be all over the place but i’ll try to put some thoughts together!

content and trigger warnings for rape, csa, suicide, self harm and abuse. both for the book and this post.

i have so, so many problems with this book. lets start with the gay stuff. here’s an bit from a goodreads review (link) by Michael Flick, i think this puts it well enough i don’t need to add anything. the whole review is worth a read, too.

“Some believe that this is “The Great Gay Novel.” That couldn’t be more wrong. There are only two recognizable gay men in this work, JB and Caleb. A creative queen and a violent, probably psychopathic, sadist. All the other “possibilities” are pedophiles (categorically not gay—that’s a sickness, an evil, that has nothing to do with being gay) or so hopelessly confused (and impotent) that you can’t know what they are (JB and Willem). The take on gay men here is antediluvian—a dangerous and discredited brand of heteronormative delusion in which all gay men, no matter the glittering surface of their lives, are fated only to die a lonely, miserable death. Caleb dies an excruciating death (so we’re told) from pancreatic cancer. JB, the witty, flamboyant, unstable, creative queen is merely a plot point. His happiness, told but not shown, at the bitter end doesn’t mean anything more than that. He’s a device to wring one more regret from you, one more sorrow. You can be assured that he, too, will die an ignoble death just beyond this novel’s last page. And you won’t be troubled or offended or titillated by the gay sex (or really any sex) here because there isn’t any: it’s the sex that dare not speak its name. All this is because the author knows absolutely nothing about gay men other than the most superficial stereotypes and doesn’t have the imagination to venture deeper than that. She can’t even imagine that a man (Willem) doesn’t need a woman to quench his sexual needs—he has a solution readily at hand. 

other than this, i remember this book having lesbophopic language but i don’t own a copy and honestly wouldn’t be bothered to find it anyway.

this book is just pure torture porn. so many bad and traumatising things happen to the main character in this book it feels unrealistic and i just think the only reason it happens is because the characters life has to be miserable. there is no reason to so graphically include a ton of this stuff in a book other than shock value. some of this graphic stuff includes very extreme descriptions of self harm (mostly cutting but also other stuff), suicide (including possible methods), physical and sexual abuse (part of it when the main character is a child), violence and medical trauma. i’m afraid that there is a real danger to this book teaching people how to hurt themselves (or even stuff like where to hide the tools they do it with) and i can’t imagine what an actively suicidal person might get out of this book. it really, really concerns me. i’m afraid this book teaches people to not get help, to not go to therapy and get help if they’ve been traumatised and/or are struggling with living.

this whole book is full of people enabling the main character to hurt himself over and over again and do nothing. every character is there to some way hurt the main character and people praise this book for being such a great tale about friendship. it is so pretentious and just pure torture porn. this book so clearly seem to think therapy and reaching out to people for help it bullshit!

i’m not saying you can’t write or discuss the themes that are present in this book but i just don’t think this is the way to do it. probably a therapist specialising in trauma should consult with the writer and someone should make sure the description of self harm and suicide will not harm anyone. i think there are guidelines made for that by people working in the field so i just don’t understand why they could not be used.

also, here is a link to the author literally saying she does not believe in trigger warnings which i think would have been extremely beneficial to have at the start of this book and i certainly would not have read it if it was for them. that would have saved me from so much triggering content. it seems clear to me the author does not have any idea how traumatic things can work, or at least that is what i think based on what she says. here is a link to an interview in which she says she does not believe in talk therapy. there, a point about a persons autonomy to end their own life is brought up which is a topic but if that’s what she wants to talk about then it should be done in clear terms and not with the only message “therapy doesn’t work if you’ve suffered enough trauma.” at least that’s how the whole thing seemed to me.

also here are so links i have saved about this book which i think point out excellent things if you are still curious

https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/a0e1yi/convince_me_a_little_life_is_a_good_book_please/

http://post45.org/2016/06/im-so-sorry-a-little-life-and-the-socialism-of-the-rich/

https://cannonballread.com/2016/07/narfna-a-little-life/

also, sorry, i am very tired so if this didn’t make much sense just ask me to clarify.

[kendrixtermina]

On the Three Lords’ Leadership Styles

I seem to have made another rambly meta post

One underappreciated but very consistent Detail throughout all routes is that Edelgard’s followers are invariably shown to be very dedicated, it’s kinda one of the main hints that she’s not actually evil even on the AM and SS routes where you don’t explicitly find out about that.

This is mostly shown through engage and death quotes instead of outright cutscenes (though you get Seteth observing how the imperial troops fought to the last and clearly weren’t forced to be there, since you napped most of her would-be underlings thanks to Byleth’s own considerable heroic charisma) 

One memorable moment is the Arianrhod Paralogue in AM where Manuela and Hanneman show up as empire-aligned enemies if you didn’t recruit them.  Hanneman even goes down saying that he doesn’t mind dying for this new, reformed empire (and given his backstory it makes all the sense)

Then there’s her random generals Randolph and Ladislava - in the empire route you find out that they were some of her first meritocratic appointments and super popular with both the armed forces and the general populace. I don’t think it’s ever outright stated that Ladislava’s a commoner but she sure doesn’t mention any title. And of course Edelgard gives this speech to her classmates about how they can totally leave if they want and how ppl like them are the true face of the empire not the corrupt elite from the last generation that they’re about to sweep aside.

It’s not for nothing that she’s got the highest charm stat and growth in the cast, we’re supposed to understand that she’s one heck of a compelling leader.  

Of course this isn’t blanket likeability... she’s authoritative, inspirational even, in a lot of her supports she doles out pep talks or accommodates ppl’s quirks so that they can excell on their own terms, but she markedly comes off as the taskmaster/ with a student-council-president sorta vibe in most of them whereas we see plenty of Claude and Dimitri just goofin’ around with their buds. She’s kinda resigned herself to being unable to rely on anyone and never being understood - Even people who know her enough to have some in-depht understanding of her (such as Hubert or Ladislava) speak of her with a sort of awe

This is markedly not something she wants or likes, she makes a point of speaking about teamwork and togetherness and doing chores just like everyone else, but due to a mix of her natural personality, her position as the soon to be most powerful person on the continent and her backstory she just genuinely finds it hard to step out of Business Mode. (that’s a big part of why she latches onto Byleth the way she does. They’re pretty unphased and flippant, they were raised away from politics and got their own fearsome reputation/ crazy power, so they approach her on a more even basis like its no big deal.)

It’s the tragedy and contradiction of someone who has sworn themselves to creating a world where she could never have existed. She’s playing by the unfair rules of a rigged game so that she may un-rig it if she wins.

Actually all three just want the others to treat em like a normal person because they’re ultimately all good humble people but Claude, being the one with the most social skills, is the only one who actually gets the others to do it.... though one also has to consider that the Alliance is less centralized/ more participatory to begin with, he has only somewhat more power than, say, Lorenz or Hilda.  Though it’d say that Dimitri’s the one who comes the closest to being just one of the group, for all that his friends won’t drop the honorifics, they are emphatically his friends. Though it must be noted that only Bernadetta and Hubert give Edelgard the ‘lady’ treatment and the whole bunch feels pretty comfortable complaining at her (and she generally takes the criticism to heart), though to be fair the Black Eagles all just kinda have sorta quirky and/or irreverent personalities (and that is a huge part of why I love them so)

Due to her exceeding pragmatism she’s not completely above cloak-and dagger tactics or deception (see when she pins the nuke on the church and much pertaining to the faustian bargain) but by and large her underlings know what they’re fighting for and why, and she prefers to fight enemies head on and give them a fair chance to surrender as long as she can do so without jeopardizing the end result. (Evidenced by many dialogue options, cutscenes and even some of her lecture questions)

It’s also a marked contrast to Claude who also has lofty idealistic goals, but doesn’t tell a soul until he’s already winning and knows ppl will likely follow him no matter what. This also ties into his arc of becoming more open and less jaded under Byleth’s influence, but it’s also a genuine difference in their leadership styles. If you show your hand and show what you stand for, people will also know what you stand against and you’ll have enemies. That’s part of why he didn’t join with her right away though he agrees with her goals, he says she’s antagonizing everyone and that that will be “hard for the people to get behind”. 

Meanwhile Claude remains elusive so he can promise everyone whatever they want (on full display with the Knights of Seiros but also with the random Alliance merchants), though this also makes ppl distrust him just due to his secretiveness alone. As Hilda points out he’s not just waaay less untrustworthy than he seems, but actually pretty reliable. His big secret ambition is as benign as world peace and his big secret as simple as that he grew up in another country... not sinister at all. 

As a leader he appeals to ppl’s self interest, trying to figure out their deal and give them what they want, and explicitly tells them all to run if things get tough. He’s surprised when people don’t (see the sad sad scene that happens if Hilda dies) and has a lot more reluctance with asking ppl to put themselves in danger than the other two, perhaps because he’s less invested himself; Leading the Alliance is his side gig,  a means to an end, not the end all be all cause of his life, he’d escape if given the chance so why shouldn’t his allies? Edelgard is likewise consistent - her allies gave it their all so how could she surrender and escape? 

In Dimitri’s case, people follow him largely out of personal loyalty, both because Faerghus culture is just big on honor and fealty, because they’re close friends of himself and his father, and also because they like him for his own virtues.

The most extreme case would be Dedue who for the most understandable of reasons doesn’t care about Faerghus at all, his loyalty is to Dimitri and Dimitri alone.

In AM their faith eventually pays off, otherwise they kinda follow him to their deaths because he stubbornly continues without thinking of negotiation surrender or even damage control. To be fair to him tho, he never actually asks anyone to follow him on his kamikaze mission nor does he hide his intentions, but the others kind of build their hopes on him anyways. 

But we can’t really judge him solely by his worst moments; In general he’s a honorable guy with more empathy than is good for him and he really makes a point of making other people’s suffering his business, most apparent with how he’s promised to improve the standing of Dedue’s people (after his return in part 2, Dedue explicitly says that the empathy is why he follows him and that as he ses it even Dimitri’s vindictiveness comes from a place of empathy for the victims of evil) or how he’s ready to swear a blood oath when Byleth’s father gets killed and just gets very emotional on their behalf - it’s easy to see how that would attract people. For better or for worse he’s more a heroic figure than a politician per se. 

He feels alot on behalf of other people and he’s got a real service mentality. If he weren’t the prince he’d probably go into public service anyways, or charity maybe, he’s constantly doing stuff like rescuing passers-by and taking in random orphans.  He’s also markedly the one of the three who always stays the ruler until his death. Part of it is from his sense of duty and later on, wanting to atone for his past sins, but he’s a genuine chronic do-gooder, and he strives to resolve conflict while making all sides happy even if it means taking a risk to builde a bridge (quite notable when he helps out Claude after their last encounter was anything but friendly)

He clearly and transparently cares a lot so ppl believe things will be better if they get him on the throne (and as per his ending narration he does a lot to help the poor and downtrodden is he does get it)

So really all three have a lot of appeal to potential followers in different ways, depending on what those followers would value in a leader. 

[nozomijoestar]

Transcribed and formatted for readability the master thesis between me and @wlwclem​ on the nuances to NaraTrish together and as individuals being why we love it and respect it not being CompHet- we spent way too much Big Brain Energy on it to not share 

tw: brief mention of F-Slur when giving an example on toxic masculinity being bullshit, sexuality is briefly discussed in a non sexualizing way and in no graphic detail

*insert IM TRISH KIN BUCCIARATI joke here*

epickinnienaranciaYesterday at 11:45 PM

JDDBSJDBD YES bc ofc she gotta be Reassuring but at the same time his Himboism Knows No Bounds One of the lines in EoH u can give her is “Go get me an Italian Vogue magazine too while you’re at it” and I’m like. Queen

nozomijoestarYesterday at 11:46 PM

JDHDHDF BDE Narancia whipped Narancia stands no chance

epickinnienaranciaYesterday at 11:46 PM

OH FOR REAL one of HIS victory lines is something about getting all the stuff for her lmao And this is like even if she isn’t in the battle, Always Thinking Of His Queen

nozomijoestarYesterday at 11:50 PM

Trish decides to test the limits of this and his ability to recognize them by asking for impossible or nonexistent items/feats and when he continues to try for her without question she realizes she has too much power and must restrain it fjdjjdjfjf Can't turn into Dad

epickinnienaranciaYesterday at 11:51 PM

JDBDBSJS The color palette changes while she has an inner monologue while she watches him try to make her happy

nozomijoestarYesterday at 11:53 PM

"Oh my god Bucciarati was right...he's too loyal for his own good I need to stop even if it's a little fun"   Meanwhile Narancia: growing more and more frustrated with himself for perceived failure to someone he loves

epickinnienaranciaYesterday at 11:55 PM

She stops for the most part but does it every so often bc it’s cute

nozomijoestarYesterday at 11:56 PM

Lucky to have a freak like dat I feel like the only thing that can counter this self defeatism Narancia can get (bc his younger childhood...ofc he's fucked up and anxious and paranoid abt not being enough or abandoned) is Trish having to open her own repressed self up and love the shit out of himLike those reassuring lines she has in EoH and her moments in the anime/manga Bruno fucking does it as his father figure and Narancia admits it gives him strength

December 19, 2019

epickinnienaranciaToday at 12:04 AM

Yes, he feels like he has to prove his worth and like he’s worth having around otherwise he’s useless, i def feel like he would not like talking about the stuff that happened in the past with everyone bc he would feel ashamed and stupid or st, he needs to be told You Are Enough and her to open up too so they can lean on each other

nozomijoestarToday at 12:12 AM

Honestly no jokes for a second I feel like this is also abt breaking toxic masculinity bc it's fucking Italy in the early 00s just out of the 90s...it was RIFE rifer than even now with that shit like in much of the world then too, the idea that a boy becoming a man and men in general need to strictly follow dumbass self harming rules

 especially abt not opening up and only having real priorities for earning money, honoring family, and procreating as much as possible whether it's marriage making a family or "having sexual conquests" in promiscuity, anything outside of this bullshit image can't be tolerated and you might as well be a woman or "a fag" if you don't assert some fictional narrative of trying extremely hard to have power in everything bc that's all that matters is the ridiculous idea of Alpha Males applied to humans 

Narancia being a 80s- 90s kid with the childhood he had did not give him much fighting chance at all in this context and time period  esp just bc he happened to be born with a dick and thus saddled with these harmful expectations society made that could've only further repressed his recognition of not beating himself up and his own emotional needs on top of EVERYONE ever betraying him Where was he supposed to go? He can't go anywhere unless he meets Bruno

epickinnienaranciaToday at 12:18 AM

yes i agree..... like, males being looked down upon for opening up, being societally forced to shoulder the burdens and “man up” and just deal with it and fix everything. And then already having a toxic support system with his “friend” betraying him and his dad Sucking Major Ass, all he’s been taught is deal with it but hasn’t been given the tools to know how, and if Bruno didn’t meet him he honestly would be so stuck, what person (esp in that time period) is going to go out of their way to help an uneducated young male?

nozomijoestarToday at 12:20 AM

Even if it tragically ends with his death in canon I feel like the time he spent with Bruno's bois, Giorno, and Trish was huge in making some of that crack little by littleBc he has moments where you see how sweet he actually is, his "real" personality if you will underneath all the unresolved anger when he's with ppl he sees love him and give him hope When Giorno said No One Is Going To Hurt You Anymore that just made me cry harder

epickinnienaranciaToday at 12:23 AM

Yes! Like, ofc he gets angry, has unrepressed rage and reactions to things, he hasn’t had any type of emotional support in SO long and it’s not like it’s 100% fantastic in that regard with buccigang (which don’t get me wrong they are family but they are still in an aggressive gang and go off and give each other lots of shit)-YEAH AND THE FUCKIGN PLANT GROWING TOO IM

nozomijoestarToday at 12:25 AM

Trish is legit I think the one person aside from Giorno who would treat him without even the gang's aggressiveness Narancia is my fav in VA even if Bruno is the best written VA character bc he's me, this kind of shit in my life is why I developed PTSD undiagnosed since my childhood that only kept getting worse until only this year have I gotten any true help I know exactly how he feels 

Esp when you think your whole life exists to serve others never yourself NaraGio shippers I see y'all argument even if I don't follow it tbh, Gio was again the only one besides Trish to consistently care for Nara in day to day and when he was in danger and esp during the Clash and Talking Heads fight Gio was the one dude present like No Narancia It's Ok Please Tell Me What's Wrong You're Clearly Stressed

epickinnienaranciaToday at 12:31 AM

yeah although i haven’t experienced it i can still empathize and try to understand, i think there’s so many layers of protection and walls that most people never truly look past it to see the root cause or true self YES that fight was so frustrating bc they were all like Narancia stop being an idiot when something was clearly wrong and he was obviously in distress!!

nozomijoestarToday at 12:32 AM

Also Gio was the only one who first asserted that No, Narancia did the right thing in fighting Formaggio

epickinnienaranciaToday at 12:33 AM

Yes and with that whole interaction the gang often uses Narancia as the scapegoat essentially and just give him shit for every little thing without trying to understand his POV

nozomijoestarToday at 12:33 AM

The Clash fight tbh I feel was an ass pull set up to give Narancia his big bad ass loyalty proving moment even if it's a great fight that beginning part is...only the Trish and Gio interactions rly make sense fjdjdjI wish him and Giorno hung out more or I guess more like talked more bc you can't rly hang out when you're getting assassinated every day hfgdg

epickinnienaranciaToday at 12:36 AM

Yeah hdkdb, even with Fugo, even tho he found him and brought him to Bruno, he still calls him a dumbass, stabs him with a fork and shit, and then with Mista even tho I feel like they are Like Bros, he destroys Narancia’s radio for no fucking reason and also has a pattern of taking shit Narancia paid for without paying him backI def agree with that, I feel like Giorno interactions were lacking in that there really weren’t many one on one meaningful things so it’s hard for me to grasp his personal headspace and relationships a lot of the time

nozomijoestarToday at 12:37 AM

However to be a little more fair to the Bucci gang the manga version has Narancia trying a lot lot more to get their attention in logical ways that unfortunately Talking Heads completely ruins, he tried writing to let them know what was happening and TH warped the text into him saying vulgar things bragging abt his dick being a powerful Stand

epickinnienaranciaToday at 12:38 AM

Yeah I was gonna add I wasn’t sure if the manga had other stuff, tbf

nozomijoestarToday at 12:38 AM

I think this is also Shounen Tropes of the 90s at play too the "child" character was often written as the comic relief dumbass Narancia suffers it so it does add a layer of Not Good to his relationships The trope still exists tbh Anime cut out him writing I assume bc it's too sexual It's already pushing it having him whip it out and piss in front of everyone jfhdhd

epickinnienaranciaToday at 12:41 AM

Yeah you right, it’s like the i want it to be that deep meme, like Araki obvi doesn’t have him only as comic relief but if he delved into his character more there would’ve been so much more that could’ve been done and shown YEAH DJDBDJDJF I WAS SURPRISED THT WAS ANIMATED

------------------------[ CUT INTERMISSION ]-----------------------------

nozomijoestarToday at 12:51 AM

Ok but to get back on track with where I was trying to go even opening this all up is how it's critical to NaraTrish in a mutually beneficial way

nozomijoestarToday at 1:01 AM

Nara is no incel he's a King obvs but he is also at heart a confused scared kid uncertain of anything in the world beyond what's closest in his grasp and without someone actively believing in and validating him he can't fully achieve awareness of healthy dynamics and even the problems within the ones he already has with his gang and Bruno- Trish doesn't have to babysit him and be the stereotypical The Woman Only Supports And Gives Up Her Body bc thats never her and couldn't be her and Narancia wouldn't make her that way bc even when he kinda touches on that (giving in a bit to the idea that men are the main protectors of women) when he gets too fixated on wanting what he thinks is for her wellbeing he does snap out and acknowledge he's wrong bc 

Trish by her independent nature and tremendous Will proves those stereotypes are bullshit, not even factoring in their first meeting as already making a huge impression on his beliefs of what girls can do- Trish knowing how to challenge him by staying true to herself yet having the compassion to help someone suffering and with fewer chances from birth than she had would not only win him over but give him something even Bruno can't, self sustaining confidence, bc Trish isn't part of a chain of command, she's just a girl in love with a boy who wants him to be happy and that concept while foreign to him for so long once it kicks in he could actually learn to build himself For himself and For someone who wouldn't use him for some greater schemes or dirty work, 

I love Bruno ok he's one of the best characters in anything ever but his flaw in his ability to help motivate ppl is tied to that fact that he's bringing them into a dangerous strict order of command to Serve not entirely in a place/way that lets them just be themselves and realize organic loving relationships with anyone and themselves SO

epickinnienaranciaToday at 1:05 AM

they’re healing...... being shown love without a position of authority or any obligations is so powerful for his growth

nozomijoestarToday at 1:25 AM

That all being said, Everything Trish does he's paying attention to, she keeps him alive during the Grateful Dead fight not because she needs him to serve for a cause ( a cause might I add even Bruno the near saint he is was ready to let Nara go right then and there for bc death is in the job description) but because she doesn't know him well yet and shit he even swung a knife at her when they first met over who was in the bathroom, but he's a person suffering and in pain and to let him die even if it's Expected Of The Mission is garbage to her even if she respects Bruno down the line as a father compared to fucking evil Diavolo,

 Trish constantly goes out her way to do these things for Nara bc Trish instinctively knows he's the most vulnerable mentally and her sense of compassion and justice (likely something Donatella made sure to instill in her before her death by cherishing Trish and spoiling her even as a single mother) will not stand to not help someone when she could've- and he reciprocates it even if in disbelief bc he can tell This Person Is Safety, This Person Is Like Me Yet Not, A Better Me I Want To Be, by the time he's about to die someone with his fragile mind was actually gaining conviction about taking control for himself on his own terms and he would risk even those chances to defend the person who actually helped him arrive there (along with Gio) in the first place, 

I think by the end of his life he rly did love her or start to, it being romantic or not is up to individual interpretation to which you know I'm in the romance camp, point is he found someone who truly taught him strength without him fully realizing it and did so without belittling him, if anything instead treating him only with love and kindness and patience (not being a door mat for him, but like, not treating him like ass like everyone else has their moments of either), I think anything Trish asks of him, this is all why he's so willing to do it on top of feeling deep  empathy, I've written in my character notes as well that like this goes even further to sex being one of the most intimate things there is, like I kno we jest and jape abt Teens Doing Dumb Shit bc we're clowns 

but the sheer vulnerability you have to have esp in a first love situation to be willing to go through with that for the first time ever takes a lot of trust and courage, aspects I think Trish was able to give him and would solidify in asking something seen as so important for many people from him, the headstrong Trish wants to be vulnerable for him and the slowly confidence boosted Narancia wants to accept that faith and trust and love and exchange it with his own of the same for her, it's not horny teens 100% it's two hurt but hopeful kids on the verge of having to be adults wanting to find another piece of identity in how they are with someone else, obvs it will forever be offscreen bc pedos deserve to be skinned alive 

I just feel that the components that would fuel them to do something teens try to do to feel more adult and bc hormones are a lot more based in growing maturity than pure lust, I think this is what I fully mean by Writing About Teens Exploring Love And Sexuality; Not Fetishizing And Reveling In Showing The Act Itself Especially For Disgusting Titillation, I think this and not explicitly writing the sex are the difference between child porn and creating realistic characters

epickinnienaranciaToday at 1:36 AM

Yeah, it is going to sound like a dumb take but the topic of sex and sexuality itself is not inherently sexual, by which I meant it isn’t the focus — there’s SO much more to it and in this case especially it can be like the ultimate sign of love, trust, intimacy, compassion, trying to make your way as a teen through a harsh world, like I can go on. Nasties Dont Interact but the shying away from the mere mention of it in a non-sexualized context is unrealistic. 

 Yes The Grateful Dead fight i 1000% agree is so important in both his personal growth and the development of their relationship, I think it’s an important parallel that he is dumbfounded about her going to such lengths to keep him alive without the sense of duty/obligation versus Trish’s feelings and outbursts of confusion on why Bucciarati and his gang even cared about her, protecting her to the point of death being on the line.(edited)

epickinnienaranciaToday at 1:44 AM

all these elements of complication and similarities between their characters is why ive gotten so passionate about both them and their relationship (whether romantic or platonic it’s really fucking strong and good), the story of two kids making it through adversity, learning to unshoulder their burdens and lean on others, the Found Family™️, and learning and growing together is just so much more fucking deep and complex than the mainstream bs that exists. 

now im not any type of elitist hipster but esp in male and female relationships portrayed in what feels like basically fucking everything are just like CompHet Bullshit and they’re together bc They Are Just Supposed To Be (not to mention the toxic masculinity culture within that where the women barely have character arcs and are just seen as objects anyways) But what I’m trying to say is that in this the relationship is real and it feels earned in a way that just isn’t there in so much other media out there(edited)

nozomijoestarToday at 1:48 AM

Honestly if we tweak this just a lil more this is basically Guts and Casca One of the greatest and saddest romances ever written

epickinnienaranciaToday at 1:48 AM

i still have berserk bookmarked just haven’t gotten around to reading yet

nozomijoestarToday at 1:48 AM

If VA was a Seinen it's p much Berserk In Italy Also big brain...galaxy brain...everything you said was a fact signed sealed and delivered(edited)

epickinnienaranciaToday at 1:51 AM

Wow we’re actually in sync and using the brain cell to its fullest extent tonight

nozomijoestarToday at 1:51 AM

When I say she's his world and he's hers this is what I mean, not comphet hdhdhfhYEAH HFHDG

epickinnienaranciaToday at 1:52 AM

(also my phone autocorrected “and” to “ANF” bc of twdg..... it also sometimes changes it to “AMD” bc I work in technology. My Phone Knows My Interests Are More Important To Me Than One Of The Main Parts Of Speech. Iconic)YESSSS they’re just SO GOOD there’s so much to articulate!

nozomijoestarToday at 1:55 AM

She was his Queen, and god help anyone who disrespected his Queen

epickinnienaranciaToday at 1:55 AM

JDBDHE SHIT THE FUCK IP DKDBEBDJFBBD

nozomijoestarToday at 1:56 AM

Buy my silence $8000 a month

[gray-warden]

What is the problem with white people traveling to asia without money? Like how are you going to brand calling the cops on someone without a visa as justice, then try and spin them pretending that the native language (which they speak fluently enough to at least pretend is their only language) is reminiscent of colonialism? Also you made it seem like American propaganda is effective in china with your tags which is weird. Just seems like y'all got galaxy brain with racism so hard it got harmful.

when did i say i’d call the cops? i wouldn’t do anything about it besides getting pissed internally lmao. and when did i say anything abut languages? i have genuinely no clue what you mean about american propaganda in china, like, i mean it when i say i don’t get what you’re saying there. i didn’t even mention china in my tags at all, and i only mentioned the US specifically when i mentioned the case of that american woman who wanted to “play doctor” and caused deaths. still, white privilege and racism are not an “american propaganda” thing, it’s something that affects the whole world, white people will pretty much always have an easier time with lots of stuff, including being automatically seen as more qualified and trustworthy, and with law enforcement everywhere, since colonialism affected the entire world, very few countries were never invaded by europeans.what i’m saying is: - it’s bad when people from rich countries that often got rich through colonialism, by harming other countries, complain abt immigrants coming from the countries they harmed because those countries were harmed in that way. even if those people now weren’t responsible for it, they still benefit from how their country developed while it had colonies, and the people in ex-colonies still suffer because of their past as colonies. - an american woman going to africa to make herself feel good about helping others when she ended up killing people bc she wasn’t a doctor like she claimed to be? that’s bad. i hope it’s obvious enough to understand why that’s bad. (also, i looked it up again, i had briefly read abt it at some point, but it was a while back so i didn’t remember all the details, but here: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/08/09/749005287/american-with-no-medical-training-ran-center-for-malnourished-ugandan-kids-105-d she clearly wanted to help, but setting up a health clinic when you have zero qualifications for that is not the way to do it at all, that’s just obvious. if she really wanted to help for the sake of helping, she could’ve donated to groups that can actually help instead. - travelling is great, but it’s not a basic human necessity like food or housing. going on a trip to a place that you /know/ has lots of inequality and then relying on the locals to keep travelling more is just stupid. would i call the cops or whatever on them? no. but i still think it’s stupid. i know that at least here in brazil, if we got begpackers, those people would get a lot more money than people who are begging for money to actually survive, because the tourists would most likely be white people from richer countries, and i know how people would be a lot more likely to give money to those people, who don’t need it to survive (bc they’re white and from “first world countries”, and just wanna travel, unlike the homeless and usually black people in poverty you see every day who get treated as lesser than human by way too many people here - i know that homelessness won’t be solved by people giving homeless people money, but it might still help them survive, get a meal, catch a bus/train so they can go somewhere they may have family or to a shelter). i’m not saying you gotta have a ton of money if you wanna travel, but travelling somewhere with the intention of relying on others when you could just, idk, not do that? it’s a stupid thing to do. what if they don’t help you? are you gonna be stuck then? then you made a bad, irresponsible decision. or do you have enough money to go back in case that happens? then you shouldn’t be begging random people on the street for money. i got nothing against people who travel with little money by hitchhiking, doing odd jobs here and there for it, who sell some stuff they might have, but deciding to travel and, since the beginning of your plans, intending on having to beg strangers for money is just a very irresponsible decision at best. people doing that shit are usually just doing it for the “enlightening experience” or whatever, which is how many western people approach asia, there’s a big stereotype of “exotic enlightenment”, especially when it comes to the southern and southeastern parts of the continent (based on what i’ve heard from both ppl who go there and people who live there - i, as mentioned in the post, am from brazil).People who do that kind of thing are usually extremely condescending and stereotyping about their trips to “exotic places” where they “seek enlightenment and truth” or whatever othre stuff they may say.No, i wouldn’t call the cops on them or anything like that, that was /one/ picture out of lots in the post, it wasn’t the point of it, and if you thought so, you really missed it. and to be honest, i was kinda tired, so i did just scroll kinda fast at some point and might not have looked that closely at a couple of pics because they were just more examples of the same phenomenon. and i didn’t really pay attention to the one with police, tbh. i’d never call the police on anyone begging for money, even if it’s a case like that. i don’t support that, but i still support the general message of the post.if you’re travelling and then get robbed or something like that, or a medical emergency happens, or anything else that might need a lot of money, and then you do end up needing more money than you had in your plans for the trip, then that kind of situation would be more understandable (but also, that’s why you should have some way to have access to money in an emergency situation, even if through a friend or family member, because those things can happen in trips). but if you don’t have an emergency plan, i’d understand actually needing the money, but that’s not the case for most begpackers. there’s a reason why many people in parts of asia, especially SE asia afaik, have been complaining about them a lot, there have been lots lately, based on what people >who actually live thereseeing certain parts of the world as “my place to explore so i can finally be enlightened” or “a place where we, the Good White People™, have to intervene so we can save the Poor Starving Kids™” or “a place where i can become one with nature in the wild, savage, mysterious jungles” or any other thing that ignores that it’s just a place with normal people who have their own lives and culture and all that (as much as where you’re from is a place with normal people who have their own lives and culture and all that) just reduces those places and their people to stereotypes that are often harmful. of course there are gonna be differences between where you’re from and where you’re going to, if there weren’t then there wouldn’t be a point in travelling, but it shouldn’t be hard to just not be stereotyping and ignorant about it all, you can enjoy travelling without being Like That.(and the post also talked about how much easier it is to get jobs or just to generally be seen as more trustworthy and qualified when you’re white and everyone else around you isn’t, and that’s def also a true and important thing to acknowledge)anyway, you sent this message to me specifically and mentioned my tags as well, so i answered, but if you wanna complain more about people who point out that begpackers are annoying and often full of entitlement and stereotypical views of certain places, then maybe ask a person who lives somewhere with lots of begpackers, someone who isn’t white. they might be able to tell you more about the whole phenomenon and the people who do it, how annoying they can be, etc, since they’ve experienced it firsthand rather than just heard a lot about it.

[comicteaparty]

August 23rd, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on August 23rd, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana by Elaine Tipping.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY START!

Good day everyone~! This week’s Comic Tea Party is now officially beginning~! Today we are discussing Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana by Elaine Tipping~! (http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/) For those new or in need of a reminder, discussions about the comic are freeform, so please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. However, every 30 minutes I will be dropping in a discussion question for participants to help those who would like a prompt. These questions are totally OPTIONAL to answer! If you miss out on any though, they’ll be pinned for the duration of the chat once they’re posted~! Remember, constructive criticism is allowed, but the primary focus here is to have fun and appreciate the amazing comic~! All that being said, let’s get started and have a great discussion!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

snuffysam

the most recent couple pages are my favorite

"help me!" hides under cape

Kabocha

Ufufufu. Actually I'm really enjoying the current scene and chapter with Atawn trying to escape. Both he and this guard are in for an adventure... Also, the guard is such a good egg. I hope we find out their name soon.

Respheal

The guard is a good friend

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i loved the cape thing. mostly cause i appreciate any cape that is big enough to hide a whole person

Respheal

I liked finding the people in the cave because that was the first bit where I was really like "Go on....-scoots forward in seat-"

Kabocha

The stakes are super high, too. Like, I'm already super into the adorable scholar character type, so I want to protect him. I'm a little bit surprised how quickly things escalated. (Well, not really)

YES

I wonder what the deal is

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2595217/pathways-58/ We know they're considered Gods now, but it's like. ........ All right, so....... how doomed is everyone, and how many survivors are there going to be out of the researchers, not counting Atawn

snuffysam

doomed from the gods or doomed from getting their camps burned?

Kabocha

It's DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM Does it really matter? I mean, Zealots are gonna zealot....

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

unless the zealots arent zealoting and just know more and are trying to save everyone from the scourge that is their spooky gods

TriaElf9

Eee I'm glad people like the cape bit, I'm so happy we hit it before this chat happened ^_^

🎵Tenor🎶

IDK if ill be back in time but wanted to say I love the story and art and I have so many speculations. Love its presentation and eager 4 more

Kabocha

@✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨ ...Good point. That would be a twist XD

"OUR GODS ARE AWFUL, WE WANTED THEM TO REMAIN BURIED AND DEAD"

snuffysam

"nobody leaves" sounds like a fun way to save people

as does setting their tents on fire

Respheal

My first impression is that the Akarna aren't awful? I didn't get that sorta vibe from them.....in what little we've seen

But yeah, zealots gonna zealot

Kabocha

What types of gods command you to light things on fire?!

The best ones

.......or the worst ones, if they're living things

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

well tbf they couldve lit the tents on fire while the scholars were inside

legit that is what i expected when atawn turned the corner

to just have on fire ppl everywhere

>_>

Respheal

Hahaha kinda x'D

That woulda been baaaaaaaaaaad

As if the situation isn't bad enough as it is

Kabocha

you mean they're not planning to do that now?

I mean, they realized Atawn escaped, if he gets caught, he's SUPER dead

and so is the guard, I'm sure

Respheal

.....probably

They certainly don't want this info leaving

Kabocha

Yeahhhhhhh

Respheal

Makes me wonder if they have some more "humane" way of not letting the information leave

Since clearly the books aren't leaving this camp

(Mind wiping? I dunno lol)

Kabocha

What is the magic like in this world, I wonder :3

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i think they mentioned they were gonna lock them up

so just eternal prison

forever

Respheal

Oh

Kabocha

They're going to get tired of feeding them at some point

TriaElf9

Yeah I will note, that big tent was the main research tent, so essentially they burnt all the information that'd been collected

And yeah, they have indeed started the clock on that, where it leads, we'll have to see ^_-

Kabocha

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

TriaElf9

TELL ME ABOUT IT it's very hard to not just blurt it all out AHHHH

Respheal

x'D

It was smart to tell Atawn to just memorize everything though

Kabocha

I'm not at the point in the comic where I can start spouting conspiracy theories. I MUST KNOW MORE

Respheal

Good bit of foresight there

Kabocha

or am I

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

plot twist: everyone just goes home and lives happily ever after, no deaths. and the bad guys pay for the damages.

TriaElf9

I want to know the theories!!

AHAHAH perfect, it's just festivals and parties until the end

Respheal

All I know is I'm in the "An Akarna person joins the party" party

Kabocha

Ahahahaha

The Guard's actually a spy

Respheal

Wakey, wakey, Akarna person, you've overslept by like a thousand years

Kabocha

He's infiltrated the Mikarna, and is looking to get information out about their gods, and the TRUTH about the Akarna's sudden disappearance

The truth being they have a secret magitek that was sealed away -- because they threatened the world. The other countries engaged in a war with them resulting in a pyrrhic victory... and forcing the Akarna underground for millenia...

.................................And they all had cake

TriaElf9

mmmm cake

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

well at least cake denotes a happy ending O_O

Kabocha

That's the terrible Magitek secret the Akarna had. A killer cake recipe.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

the one cake to rule them all

snuffysam

there's a reason they call it death by chocolate

Kabocha

GASP

TriaElf9

AHAH ^_^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

aside from the guards since were still on favorite scene i want to mention i really enjoyed the festival montage. it was nice seeing all the activities, and i think the fireworks at the end really tied it all together with some beautiful imagery

Kabocha

A shame they're going to soon be embroiled in an international incident

TriaElf9

Aww, yay! ^_^

eheh

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

well we have to have calm before the storm O_O so ill take what calm i can get

Kabocha

I'm sure there'll be plenty of nice, calm moments

TriaElf9

I actually drew all that after having gone through festival season here, as well as a fireworks festival, so I had a lot of places to draw from for inspiration ^_^

Kabocha

enough for us to get attached to all of the adorable characters

Awww

TriaElf9

OH yes, I want to show the world through down-time as well as the AHHH time ^_^ it can't all be AHHHH or we'd get tired

Kabocha

YES

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i also wanna say i really love that one doublepage where you see the crowd and the wall. i really love that huge sense of scale that makes you go "dang those walls are some marvel of architecture."

Kabocha

The color illustrations for pathways are a treat, too

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2534068/chapter-2-the-dig/ Like, even though this is based in what could be a very brown landscape, the reds and greens add such a nice warmth to it, and the cool blues for shading are just pleasant

TriaElf9

Fun fact, that city is actually the smallest of the main cities in Tuvana ^_-

And I'm glad that page came out well, it took foreeeveerrrrrrr

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2622607/chpt-3-attack-on-the-camp/ ...To be honest, it took everything in me not to start throwing fire puns when this page came out

Respheal

Do it

Unleash the puns

Kabocha

It's so serious in context, I can't help but make fire jokes

TriaElf9

I love how it was all "yeah, I'm gonna start this comic, it'll be great! I'll just start with....a massive festival... with thousands of people WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i demand fire puns

Respheal

They are both very nice cover pages

Ha! xD

TriaElf9

omh puns are the best

Kabocha

This cover page is HOT -- have you seen it yet?!

TriaElf9

HEHEH

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

beautiful

serious context is even more reason for puns

gotta defuse that tense situation

TriaElf9

so true

Kabocha

The Mikarna really brought the heat!

My passion for this comic cannot be extinguished!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

but puns aside i do think the chapter covers are really nice. its some immensely beautiful coloring.

TriaElf9

Ah, Miakarna ^_^

but yes, they did bring the heat eheh

aww, thank you! ^////^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

masterpieces. kabo just gonna have to make a book of puns to story situations

Kabocha

Things are really heating up for the researchers... ....You could say it's... in tents...

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

the holy head guy was like "you need to put the heat on." miakarna set the tents on fire. holy head guy like "I DIDNT MEAN LITERALLY"

Kabocha

PFFFF

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

QUESTION 2. After discovering the supposed Akarna, things go downhill for the scholars at the ruins rather quickly. Do you think that Atawn will manage to escape? If he does, will he actually manage to make it somewhere safe, or will he be pursued and captured eventually anyway? Where will Atawn even go? Why do you think that Miakarna guard is helping Atawn, and will the guard suffer consequences for helping later on? Will Atawn’s records be of use, and if so how? What do you think will happen to the other scholars that Atawn left behind? Lastly, what do you think will be the consequences for the Miakarna regarding their actions? Will they spark a potential war, or will their declaration of the scholars being profane be allowed to stand?

Kabocha

Someone told the Mikarna to light a fire under someone's ass to get all the research disposed of -- they probably weren't meaning literally

TriaElf9

Oh man, all great questions!!!

snuffysam

maybe this whole thing is a misunderstanding. maybe the miakarna are fine with discovering religious secrets, they just don't like holes in the ground.

Kabocha

@snuffysam -- like Trypophobia, just on a large scale?

where there's one hole with people in it, there might be another

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

holes are like graffiti of the earth

cant have hoodlums adding their graffiti

snuffysam

my hope is that atawn and the guard become best buddies and escape to visit taria and friends. and then the gang has a bunch of misadventures in an attempt to quell a brewing holy war.

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2610497/pathways-62/ Well, Rykhana'i will probably not take this well. "Oh, yeah, we uh, lost one of your guys, and burnt all their research. No you can't visit them. NO. THEY'RE TOTALLY FINE"(edited)

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

this is assuming they can get word out. which tbh i do think they can

i think atawn will make it

with the guards help

Kabocha

we can hope

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i believe O_O

although i dont think the guard is going to be safe in the long run

Kabocha

Is the guard already raising death flags for you?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yes

ankoart

Atawn's gonna escape, but probably be pursued as he tries to tell others about what he's seen. A man on the run! The guard is gonna join him cause he probably knows shady stuff is afoot and feels guilty just standing by and doing nothing. He seems like the thoughtful type, and he probably became a guard to protect and serve others, not deceive them.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

super death flags

the guard is a profaner O_O

Kabocha

To be honest, I think Atawn's more likely to be injured badly and have to adapt, the guard will be fine long-term.

ankoart

-hugs the guard- don't you touch him

TriaElf9

eats popcorn, grinning

Kabocha

oh no

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i do get the impression the guard has a kind soul at least and is becoming disillusioned

which good for the guard

Kabocha

I still think the guard's a spy

TriaElf9

WHY CAN'T I DRAW THE COMIC FASTERRRR so many parts to get toooo

Kabocha

AHAHAHAHAHAH

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

someone on the inside should be thinking "maybe its us who are the bad guys"

TriaElf9

"are we the baddies?"

ankoart

Maybe the real baddies are the friends we made along the way

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

LOL the plot twist of the century

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2550453/pathways-43/ I dunno, Guard totally knows who the baddies are. They're very observant

OH NO ANKO

@TriaElf9 -- ....how long until we find out the Guard's name

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

in regards to the other scholars i also see death flags over them. like i think for now theyll be locked up. but then ya know, public executions of the profane and all that to set an example

im gonna burst out laughing if the guard's name is "Guard"

Kabocha

As soon as Atawn finds a place to stop and write a letter, there's going to be a newspaper or something: "SCHOLARS FIRED"

TriaElf9

AHAH

Respheal

> FIRED

Why

Why do you do this

TriaElf9

We'll learn more about the guard soon, I've drawn those pages already, it's just a matter of getting to them in the posting schedule ^_-

extra extra, read all about it! ^_^

Kabocha

@TriaElf9 appreciates my awful, awful jokes

ankoart

It's good to have things to look forward to reading soon!

Respheal

The guard seems smart, so I imagine they'll make it out of this alright I don't foresee them following the narrative much though? But that's just my guess

TriaElf9

I'm trying to build a buffer, so I'm like a bunch of pages ahead, so I keep getting surprised when I check the site and we're not there yet lol

Kabocha

Aaaaaaa I know this feeling. XD But that's okay

So, so far, I can group everyone in this comic into two distinct groups: "Adorable Characters I must protect" and "Flamethrowers"

Respheal

Yes xD

TriaElf9

EHEH

ankoart

I get the feeling they're gonna be joining the narrative to stay~

Kabocha

Actually, you know.... Could we call this event the start of a... flame war?

TriaElf9

I think the other question is, how is this all going to affect Atawn really ^_-

AHAHAHAH

Respheal

istg

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel the guard will be around for a while at least. the guard will rise to help again O_O

atawn will be fine. no years of therapy needed or anything

Kabocha

Yep

Respheal

Oh yeah I imagine the guard'll be back at some point if we do part ways with them now

TriaElf9

no survivor's guilt or anything NAH

Kabocha

definitely no therapy necessary never

Respheal

Ahahahaha poor Atawn x'D

Kabocha

Y'all should look at the vote incentive

snuffysam

atawn and the guard get captured. the rest of the comic is taria and gang doing something completely different.

Respheal

Wait

Waaaaaaaaaaaait

the person behind Atawn

TriaElf9

Oh yeah, my full cast art reveals a lot lol

Respheal

I rescind my remarks; Guardfriend joins the gang

Kabocha

GuardFriend is even more adorable without the helmet

TriaElf9

tho it takes the context of connecting faces and people eheheh

excelleennnttt ^_^

Kabocha

+10 want to protect score

Respheal

Also I do really love the umbrella idea with that art. So cute!

ankoart

I wanna know more about the dragons. Everyone deserves dragon cuddles.

Kabocha

YES OH GOODNESS

the dragons are freakin' CUTE

Respheal

Shvir is a good noodle friend

TriaElf9

I also wanted to do a pride yukata picture, but I just didn't have time that month, sadly

Kabocha

How large do the dragons grow?

TriaElf9

a full cast of 8 characters turned out to be murder on the hands lol

they vary in size

they can be tiny to massive

Kabocha

Oooh

ankoart

I need one

Alakotila

Just in time for the cute dragon talk!!

TriaElf9

I haven't much gotten into the dragon stuff yet, but a few people picked up on some of it during the first chapter

eyy, dragon talk! welcome! ^_^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

the dragons were cute but i was curious why all the royalty seemed to have them

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

pant pant pant

Sorry I'm late!

snuffysam

maybe just a popular pet

a popular, expensive pet

Respheal

I suspect there's more to it than that

TriaElf9

more popcorn and grinning

Kabocha

I imagine there's some sort of bonding

ankoart

Yeah they seem like more than just "pets." Companion seems a better word

TriaElf9

Companion is a very good word for it ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Heehee~

So i see you're the creative mind that made this comic, aren't ya Tria?

ankoart

I'd like to know how they find each other, dragons and their people.

TriaElf9

I am indeed ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Heehee, pleased to meet ya~

TriaElf9

and I'm having such a hard time not just like spilling all the beaannnssss

Kabocha

Are you cackling like mad?

ankoart

Oh no, all these beans!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

maybe its both. maybe the dragons are companions...but also expensive pets O_O

TriaElf9

cackling ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

A 500 dollar pet?

Kabocha

Don't spill the beans, they're needed for setsubun

TriaElf9

very true, gotta keep those oni out

I will drop that size of dragons is actually a plot point, there is a reason to size ^_-(edited)

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

oooh?

Kabocha

Ooooh

Interesting...

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Are you hiding something from us?

Kabocha

............................................................................ HMMMMMMM

Well, yes, that's the point of telling a story :'3

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Ye~

Kabocha

things are hidden from the reader and gradually revealed

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

And I like that there's dragons that are friendly to each other

TriaElf9

it's not a huge thing, really, but there are layers to it ^_^

Respheal

It's definitely just the royal people that have dragon companions, since a merchant recognized them as royalty for having dragon companions

A pact, mayhaps?

ankoart

The bigger the dragon the gayer you become

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hmm, Ice Candy

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel like it must be related to magic somehow. but thats all i got on that one. need to see the dragons more.

Kabocha

It's interesting that royalty is easily able to walk amongst their people. Must be a pretty peaceful country.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

As a food enthusiast I need to know exactly what kind fo treat it is

Is it like water ice but with bigger chunks of ice?

Kabocha

It'd be a shame if the Mikarna did something....

TriaElf9

Oh Ice Candy is similar to shaved Ice ^_^

snuffysam

might just be a funny way to say sno cone

yup got it in one

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Heehee

I was thinking of having a snow cone earlier lol

TriaElf9

they call it kakigori at festivals here

and it's one of my go to favs, so I had to include it of course eheheh

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

You live in Japan?

TriaElf9

I do! ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

That's epic! I always wanted to see what living there was like but I'm too afraid to leave my own home XD It's got everything I could want, but I digress

Kabocha

http://i.imgur.com/sZQnzuA.jpg This, I feel, is an accurate representation of the Mikarna. But, y'know, with fire

Respheal

snrk

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

And I love that the dragons share the treats with their masters~

ankoart

Haha, cat reaction posts are always best

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

So many food vendors too at this fair in the first chapter

Respheal

A cat dragon

snuffysam

i feel like fairs generally have a lot of food vendors?

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yea

though some just serve lots and lots of fast food

and it's usually the same stuff every time

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

tbf in the comic its the harvest festival

TriaElf9

the dragons are very cat for sure ^_^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

and well

harvest

food is implied in the name O_O

snuffysam

you know what my favorite thing to harvest is?

ice

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

You have a good point there

TriaElf9

It's basically a matsuri

ankoart

lol

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

>harvesting ice

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2521877/pathways-8/ EVERYONE MUST ATTEND AND HAVE FUN

TriaElf9

it's a festival to celebrate a time or a thing, but they also have staple foods at these things

Kabocha

actually, Shvir's expression is just Way too cute there

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

like the aforementioned candy ice?

wondering what flavors they have there too

TriaElf9

various Tuvana fruits flavors probably

also, I am that servant, and Taria is deffo people trying to get me to stop working and GO TO THE DARN MATSURI lol

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel like being told its a royal order is a gurantee to not have fun. too much pressure. starts running around forcefully laughing saying, "AM I HAVING FUN NOW!?"

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

In the end it's all about the matsuris

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

QUESTION 3. At the beginning of the comic we are introduced to Taria, Dhiren, and Quinel, royalty far detached from the current situation at the ruins. What do you think their overall roles in the story will be? Will they deal with the situation at the ruins personally, have heavy involvement in the political arena regarding the Miakarna, or will they be involved in some other way? Will Dhiren successfully have his ceremony to celebrate the promise of Cova’t with Jorah, or will the situation with Miakarna throw those plans into disarray? Will Quinel’s role at the House of Healing be significant, and do you consider it foreshadowing of something to come? What about Taria? Will her fighting skills come into play, her apparent charity, or something else?

snuffysam

i think they'll be among the first to find out about the tent-burning

TriaElf9

AHH EVEN MORE GOOD QUESTIONS

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

That's our Rebel!

snuffysam

atawn manages to escape and gets word to them somehow

TriaElf9

Given that Taria and Atawn are from the same country, that's a good bet ^_-(edited)

snuffysam

and honestly quinel being a healer could factor in right then and there

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Maybe~

snuffysam

i doubt he'll escape without a scratch

Kabocha

Taria strikes me as an action princess, so she's going to want to be out there to check on things. I wonder if she knows Atawn though?

Yeah, Quinel's going to be very useful... ............."Yeah, we'll dispatch our best healers to help" ...."Everyone's dead."

TriaElf9

I wonder what the state of necromancy-like magic is in Tuvana? ^_-

Kabocha

.................

OH NO

TriaElf9

This could mean everything OR NOTHING

cackles more

Kabocha

They're going to end up pod people! and then there to wage war against their own peoples!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

quinel for resident necromancer

Kabocha

NO

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Finally, I binged all the way to the end so far!

Respheal

Just need a lot of diamonds.........#dnd(edited)

TriaElf9

We also have 3 more characters to meet ^_-

Kabocha

I object to this! Atawn strikes me as much more likely to approach Necromancy from a scholarly point of view.

TriaElf9

I can't wait for chapter 4 ahhhhhhhh

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

3 more to meet, you say? :3

TriaElf9

so many diamonds

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

quinel's healing will be useful tho. healers are always useful.

Alakotila

hohohoho

TriaElf9

need that revial spell lol

Alakotila

I guess I can't say anything there

Kabocha

OH DEAR

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Made it for the second hour. ^.^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

hey math~!

Kabocha

ALAKOTILA KNOWS SPOILERS

TriaElf9

woo, welcome! ^_^

OH RIGHT

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I also like Atawn's water-generating ability

Alakotila

EDITOR IN THE HOUSE

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

also HEY MATH!

TriaElf9

MY EDITOR KNOWS THINGSS

Kabocha

:'3

Respheal

That was handy xD "Oh, no access to water....welp. -generates water-"

Alakotila

that was a whole ton of good questions up there Rebel!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

speaking of the water-generating ability i was super stoked to see magic used for something practical like that

thank you

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Oh, you're the editor of this here story?

Alakotila

yeah! that was awesome!

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Hmm, so the royalty will probably have to try and calm down the populus when they see all the smoke from the fire.

snuffysam

how far away is the site?

Alakotila

just the copy editor! all fabulousness is created by @TriaElf9 !

Respheal

I imagine the camp is pretty far away

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

There is hydrogen and oxygen in the air, just need the magical bonds.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Sometimes mundane is all you need

And nice X3

Kabocha

If you really want it to explode, just break those bonds

TriaElf9

yes, they check me on my very over use of commas and my rambling ahah

Kabocha

and uh ....add a spark

ahahahah

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

lol

TriaElf9

Yeah the camp is pretty far and surrounded mostly by mountains

we'll see more of the land in the next upcoming bit

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Oh Tria, I have a small idea for the sit if you're the one that made/coded it(edited)

Kabocha

Rumors of the scholars' fate may spread like wildfire once Atawn escapes....

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

so i feel like war is for sure brewing and theyll have to try and stop it. cause at the very least i think this current discovery is gonna make the miakarna invade all the ruins which iirc are spread out on all four lands

TriaElf9

and I'm glad you're liking the magic! I'm really proud of the system and can't wait to share more ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yea, it's really good magic~!

Kabocha

The Akarna ruled the world with their cake recipes!

Alakotila

CAKE

Kabocha

I mean, they were considered Gods... OF BAKING

TriaElf9

Oh and no, I have loads of help on the site, I'm useless at those things lol

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Lol, alright then

ankoart

Now I wanna make cake

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Cause I thought of suggesting using the arrow keys to navigate through pages

instead of just clicking the page

also

DID SOMEONE SAY CAKE?

TriaElf9

I always want cake, I went out and got cake during last night's typhoon

Kabocha

Ooooh, what kind of cake though

ankoart

-stares at bag full of ingredients to make ace dessert- maybe I'll finally do that this weekend

Respheal

....-wants cake now-

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I got italian ices during a bad thunderstorm

Alakotila

that's pretty extreme cake getting lol

TriaElf9

I think the arrows do navigate?

snuffysam

this... this is the true power of the Akarna!

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

They take the cake.

TriaElf9

I got strawberry shortcake b/c of course ^_^

Kabocha

I think Justin means using the arrow keys on the keyboard

TriaElf9

ooooh

ankoart

YOU BOUGHT CAKE DURING THE TYPHOON? (Haha I thought about stopping by a conbini actually but I was actually soaked)

Kabocha

That... might be doable...

TriaElf9

I have no idea if SJ has the ability to do that ^_^;;

Respheal

It does, I can link ya

Kabocha

throw it at me

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Back on fave scene, I just wanted to mention I liked the bit near the start where it looked like as the people were meeting back up, so were the dragons. That was just a nice little detail. Hadn't expected different breeds of dragon.

Alakotila

the dragons are wonderful

TriaElf9

oooh I love that bit!

Kabocha

Shvir is like... a noodle cat dragon

TriaElf9

and yes, I wanted to vary dragon types ^_^

Kabocha

also the meeps are great

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I wonder how many dragon species total exist

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

And in terms of theories, when they first found the door, I wondered if they'd open it and that high priest guy would just be sitting there with a TV. And he'd go, "Well damn, you found my tech man-cave. Now I have to kill you."

Did not expect the frozen gods.

TriaElf9

EHEH

Kabocha

Are they frozen or just... On ice?

TriaElf9

pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Ice see what you did there.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i expected religion breaking secrets but not frozen gods

Kabocha

It looks vaguely computerized. They need an IT person to come in and take a look before the whole system freezes up

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

for a sec I thought they were mummified

ankoart

They're taking a long nap. I relate to them.

TriaElf9

Also, dragon-wise, so far we've met Tova, Shvir and Var ^_^

snuffysam

the secret is that's where candy ice comes from!

the frozen gods!

ankoart

Ice candy, god flavor

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Interesting that the most important God was at the top, as opposed to at the bottom. Is it really safe up there? Is that also where the power is being generated? (And are they "on ice" in a magical way or a tech one?)

snuffysam

"And are they "on ice" in a magical way or a tech one?" is there really a significant difference?

Kabocha

The ice treats are like soylent green

Respheal

por que no los dos?(edited)

Magitek cryostasis

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Well, this is mostly a magical world, but that area was only recently getting magic, hence the desert. Maybe there's an incompaitiblity... or maybe all the magic was being absorbed by the stasis tubes. So could make a difference for plot.

TriaElf9

oh mannnn I'm loving this AND equally tortured that I can't say anything aHAHAH

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hmmmm

You're onto something Math

TriaElf9

I'll be dropping more in chapter 4, so look forward to that ^_-

snuffysam

yeah i'm just saying that in this world, it seems like magic has a big impact on technology, and vice versa

TriaElf9

I wish there was a plotting emoticon

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Gotcha.

Maybe the dragons are actually mechanical beings.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i feel like its significant that it looks like theyre being preserved by technology in a world where there isnt a lot of technology around or so it seems

TriaElf9

I will say some of the things people have said today are indeed on the right track

now the question is WHICH of the things muhahahah

Alakotila

hmmm yes

where did the tech come from?

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I wonder that as well

Respheal

Aliens

Alakotila

ALIENS

Kabocha

They're gods because of the tech!

TriaElf9

that's another emoticon we need

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

"What solved the world crisis?" "Aliens."

Kabocha

any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic!

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

The shipping of Atawn and that Guard is the right track, yes? Surely someone already proposed that?

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Always blame it on them

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

The Gods are actually aliens. They crash landed here and decided to seal themselves away from the cavemen until there was a decent enough civilization to rule over.

Alakotila

setting ships sailing is fun

snuffysam

actually i don't think anyone mentioned the atawn x guard ship

Kabocha

They gave people enough to get started, then went into stasis until they could take over

snuffysam

even though it's a pretty good one

TriaElf9

I've gotten some comments on the comic about it, but not here yet

Kabocha

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaah, your world isn't comfortable enough... we'll be back when you make it better..."

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

snuffy: Glad I corrected that oversight then.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel the atawn x guard ship is just obvious is all. they got all them googly eyes going.

Kabocha

Ahahaha, right?

Alakotila

LOL rebel

Kabocha

but more than anything, I want to protect them both

Alakotila

do they

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel: Maybe the Guard has a nice sister he wants to marry off, who knows.

Alakotila

I gotta look closer for the googly eyes

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"I want a smart guy, but not a guy who's TOO smart. The scholar who dehydrates himself will do nicely."

TriaElf9

AHAHAH

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

no the lol part is to the fact i now cant unpicture them with googly craft eyes glued to their eye lids.

http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/supplyimages/564756_1000_1_800.jpg

ya know those kind

TriaElf9

dehydration is definitely something to look for in an SO

Alakotila

oh so those kinds

yeah

I can see how that would give the ship away

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

"Stay hydrated!!"

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"You know where there's some moisture? In mah mouth..."

TriaElf9

PFFT

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"I have a spell though." "Oh, well fine."

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

thats gonna be the guard's best selling pick up line book

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

In terms of the fact that there's new characters we haven't met - there's four kingdoms who can lay claim to that one area, right? And we've seen two of them...? Maybe there will be counterpoints to Taria. (Or is Dhiren already one?)

Like, they'll have a Summit.

TriaElf9

Dhiren and Quinel are from another kingdom yeah

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

dhiren and quinel are both from kuvar

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I really want to see the other kingdoms now that you mention it

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

I am SO bad with names.

TriaElf9

The only one we've yet to see is Durhan

lol me too, and I wrote them ahah

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

this is why notes exist

especially when you got a billion fantasy names

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"There's these four kingdoms, uh... A B C and D."

TriaElf9

I changed the spelling on a few, and I keep getting confused eheh

yuup, I have so many lore notes ehehe

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Do they speak different languages in the different kingdoms, I wonder?

Or is magic the universal langauge?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

thats a good question

about languages

Kabocha

We can probably safely assume the characters all are fairly well educated

Alakotila

Is there a common tongue?

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

When magic's involved, spelling counts.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yes

snuffysam

to be fair, we don't know if the guard is well educated

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Who knows what can happen if you mis-pronounce a certain spell

snuffysam

he may have just been hired to stand there

Kabocha

I dunno, I'm still going with spy theory

TriaElf9

there is at least a common tongue, yes

so far we've seen that and magic

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

snuffy: True, but they probably don't want people who are too dense walking over the scholars.

"This is actually a recipe for biscuits, yes."

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

QUESTION 4. The comic quickly makes it apparent that there are many mysteries afoot regarding the past. In regards to the ruins, what do you think the Miakarna are hiding and why? Did they know about the supposed Akarna there? Are they protecting the land simply because they believe it’s holy? Alternatively, is something else going on? What lengths do you think the Miakarna are willing to go to protect the ruins? Atawn also briefly mentions that magic had not returned to the area the ruins are in. What do you think that means for the past and present day of the story’s world? Of a last note, do you believe the people under the ruins are the Akarna, and if so, what are they doing there?

TriaElf9

SO MANY GOOD QUESTIONS

Kabocha

Qualifications for being a Mikarna guard: -The ability to yell "PROFANER" in at least 3 different languages -Looks good in helmets -OK with bringing the heat(edited)

TriaElf9

EHEHEH

snuffysam

the way the miakarna were acting was like there was a specific thing they didn't want the scholars to find. so i think this was that thing.

TriaElf9

and an almost fanatical devotion to the Akarna

snuffysam

like each day they seemed more worried that the archaeologists were going to find something

Kabocha

The Miakarna probably knew, or had an inkling of what they'd find, just not WHERE and when. And they're hoping to harvest that sweet, sweet cake technology

TriaElf9

hey, cool cake in a desert? priceless

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

snuffy: I got the impression that they didn't know what it was they were even protecting though. Like, they didn't want them to find... something... this is probably it, burn it all.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Of course

use fire at first resort

Great idea

TriaElf9

people knowing things and straying from their control is BAD

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yes(edited)

snuffysam

i'd hate to see what the miakarna will use after fire fails to get atawn

Kabocha

OH GOSH

THE AKARNA KNEW... how to make ice cream cake

like the perfect ice cream cake

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Unless the Miakarna are actually under the mental control of the Akarna. Subconsciously or not.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

im gonna be honest i think its a mix. like the miakarna were told something vague like "this is the final resting place of the akarna" cause there has to be a reason they already considered the land sacred. so they knew theyd find something they either proved that right or wrong. and then ya know, they found pods.

Kabocha

GO HOME EVERYONE WE'VE SOLVED THE CONSPIRACY

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

BY BURNING IT ALL \o/

Kabocha

.............

darnit

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

the miakarna being under the control of the akarna sounds interesting though

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel: Or maybe they were just told that where the magic was weakest was the final resting place or something. Way vague, which is why they don't want anyone until they figure it out themselves.

Alakotila

it does make sense they'd have been told something vague AT LEAST in order to consider it sacred

I wonder if they expected to find what they did

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Arkarna are all telepaths.

Kabocha

The Akarna were the ones who made the desert

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

swings pendulum "You are getting... creeeepy."

snuffysam

*dessert, kabo

TriaElf9

PFFT

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

as a general semi crack, semi serious theory, i think theres gonna be war as the miakarna block the others from the ruins. but then theyll wake up an akarna. and then the akarna will yawn and wage an even bigger war and everyone will have to come together to scream oh shit oh shit the gods want to murder us.

Respheal

Ahahaha I can get behind this theory x'D

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

never trust the pod ppl

Respheal

The pod gods

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

better, even more specific

Kabocha

An ancient empire awakens, bent on reclaiming the world they once dominated. A small group of people, drawn together by a common cause, are determined to stop them. However, they face more than threats from the outside.... I mean, the synopsis of the comic is this....

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

dont trust pod gods

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

^

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel, I can totally see that. Suddenly the Miakarna wave the white flags, "Stop shooting at us, we're under attack from within too."

Respheal

Yuuuuuuuuuuuppppp r.i.p. everyone when the pod gods wake up

TriaElf9

author cackling continuessss

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Unless the Gods decide to use the Miakarna as the instruments to wipe out the other kingdoms.

Kabocha

Does "Mi" have a meaning

because Mi-Akarna

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Mama Mia.

Kabocha

are we following hi-fu-mi here

bc if so, this means they're the third iteration of the Akarna's people... potentially

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

mi actually used to be my because the miakarna are the descendants of their slaves O_O

Kabocha

GASP

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

They're also probably great at dodging magic, if they're spending a lot of time defending a region that doesn't use it.

Kabocha

Bwahahahahahaha

So, basically, we can sum this up as: "They're all doomed"

The Akarna join with their faithful servants,and..............................

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

R.I.P. everyone

Kabocha

TAKE OVER THE WORLD

snuffysam

unless a rag-tag group of friends can stop them!

Respheal

Well if the Miakarna consider the Akarna to be gods, I can't imagine it'll take much to convince them to join in on the conquest

ankoart

Everybody wants to rule the world

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

maybe this will be a technology vs magic war. cause the akarna could be technology wizards instead of regular magic wizards. and the akarna are the reason magic went away.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

oooh

That'd be epic

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Leaves it up to the cat dragons to save the day.

ankoart

Cat dragons save the day! That would be the best

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

The smallest and cutest fighters

Kabocha

The akarna are all sudo rm -rf /

snuffysam

the entire story is just the akarna trying to remember the admin password

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"As soon as we thaw out our army, you'll be in trouble."

(Wasn't there an episode of Star Trek Voyager like that?)

(Dragons Teeth or something.)

snuffysam

use a blow drier to thaw out the army

have to go to the store for extension cords because of the size of the room

it's a whole thing

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Unless blow drier runs on magic. Also, they'll have fabulous hair.

Kabocha

Sam -- you know, they probably just have to boot into single user mode

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"Aim for the heads." "Why aren't they wearing helmets?" "Would you cover up that hair?"

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2595215/pathways-56/ "What, you must be mistaken" Clearly they know what's up

Gaslighting before they torch the place

Respheal

I dunno, might be legitimate surprise

TriaElf9

which one which oneeeee ~dances~

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i read it as legit surprise too

Kabocha

....you missed the joke T_T

TriaElf9

OH

OHHHHH YOU

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i saw it O_O i just dont have a witty response to it XD

Kabocha

ahahahaha

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

TriaElf9

sorry I'm getting prepped for critical role lol

Kabocha

It's ok XD

I'm being awful

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Seeing that panel reminds me, did all characters have slightly pointy ears, or no...?

TriaElf9

I HAVE FAILED YOU

it's mixed

Kabocha

IT'S OK, THIS COMIC IS WONDEFUL

TriaElf9

Dhiren and Quinel both have rounded ears

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Gotcha, thanks. I wondered about races at some point there, then forgot.

TriaElf9

so does Vala

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

I guess it's connected to Kingdoms.

TriaElf9

yup, it's just a little detail ^_^

it's actually not a spoiler or anything, it's just a genetic variation in this world

like connected earlobes or detached earlobes

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Nice detail. Actually, really good artwork, given the large setting too.

Kabocha

I'm 100% here for the pointy ears

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

interesting.

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

There's also, like, foreground-background in places.

Kabocha

@TriaElf9 -- now, I have to ask one question before it gets to the end... Is ther ea character we'll get to shout "YOU HAD ONE JOB" at

and will they have a ribbon

TriaElf9

it's more of a "this isn't Earth" tidbits ^_^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

is there any sort of discrimination caused by the difference in ears or is everyone shrugging about it?

TriaElf9

also I like pointed ears ahaha(edited)

Alakotila

me too

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

The person who made the large cloak, when it fails and Atawn is seen. Had one job.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Mind of I say one last thing before this chat ends?

TriaElf9

for sure!

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Because this is an incredible read so far with lots of cool (and sometimes cute!) ideas and I love everything about it thus far

TriaElf9

eeee ^////^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hope it continues on and we experience a lot more about this world you created

(and long live candy ices!)

TriaElf9

I've been working on this comic for a few years now, building the world, I'm so glad people are liking ittt ^_^

oh it'll keep going for sure ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Glad to hear!

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Is Tuvana the land or the planet?

TriaElf9

and if we hit the next goal on my patreon, it'll reliably update twice a week

ankoart

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us!

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Sweet!

TriaElf9

instead of my 1-2-1-2 pattern I have now

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah the effort put into the world really shows through. its got a lot of those necessary details that really bring the foreignness to fruition.

TriaElf9

it's both

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Gotcha.

TriaElf9

the world is the land is the planet

TriaElf9

Tuvana is what they call the whole thing, and then there are 4 distinct countries

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Helps the aliens out that way.

TriaElf9

heheheheh

hey it does have a dash of sci fi ^_-

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

That's cool~

TriaElf9

I've only had one panel with it I think, but keep an eye on the sky, there are a few cool things there ^_-

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Yeah, definitely didn't expect the pods... I wonder if they're all actually functioning? Oooh, what if they're all just holograms?

"Thank you for opening my pod, this is a recorded message..."

TriaElf9

EHEHE

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"...to build the thermonuclear device, insert tab A..."

Respheal

Now I'm going back through, looking at all the sky shots lmao

Divulge your secreeeeets(edited)

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel like some of the pods must of failed maybe. at the very least i can hear them waking up and being like "General Lod is okay but General Joe Bob kicked the bucket I'm afraid."

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Always nice to have reasons to go back. Like, even hair has tufts and strands.

Kabocha

AHAHAHAHAHAHHA

TriaElf9

it'll show up more in coming pages

Kabocha

I can't wait to read more

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Same here~

TriaElf9

but the night sky has a little fun thing ^_-

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel: Hope they took out life insurance.

snuffysam

looking forward to more world building!

Kabocha

I want to see more cuties

TriaElf9

oh there will be more cuties for SURE

also more world building

Kabocha

EVERYONE IS ADORABLE NEED ALL OF THEM ALL THE TIME

TriaElf9

chapter 4 we get some world lore AND some cuties

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY END!

Unfortunately, the scheduled Comic Tea Party time is now up~! Thank you everyone so much for reading and joining this week’s chat~! We want to give a special thank you to Elaine Tipping, as well, for making Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana and volunteering it for our reading queue. If you liked the comic, please be sure to support Elaine Tipping’s efforts however you’re able to. All that being said, if you would like to continue discussing this week’s comic, we highly encourage you to do so~!

For next week, Comic Tea Party will focus on The J-Man by Jonny Aleksey. As always, please use the next several days to read as much of the comic as you would like. We hope to see you next Thursday on August 30th from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat~! Until then, happy reading~! @The Undefeatable Jonny Aleksey Comic: http://jonnyalekseydrawscomics.com/thelatestpage/

[kabookiii]

So I just on Twitter to see ppl still talking about aot ending. It seems to be, from what I was reading lol, that a lot of ppl are definitely hurt especially about Levi’s ending and the whole ending and plot of the story in general. Ppl are upset that it seems Levi had suffered the most, as people he loved kept dying over and over, only for isayama to leave him alive in the end but with one less eye, and in a wheelchair now. Also, they don’t understand why it ended like it did. They were expecting more, probably a better ending. They didn’t like the fact that the main protagonist died. They’re saying isayama is stupid for clearly showing hate towards his own characters and is vicious lol. They say why make the characters if you’re going to make them miserable and kill them off. And especially when he decided to let zeke attack literally the entire survey corps. I have to admit myself, that was rather cruel. I can’t believe he let zeke kill that many people. I couldn’t even watch that part well, because they were getting wiped out so bad... and the horses.. omg everyone was dying. Idk how floch made it tbh.

I think Isayama didn’t let Eren remain alive  because he was scared of backlash of letting Eren live after Eren committing mass murder. Honestly, if Eren lived so many people would be complaining and saying that Yams was irresponsible for letting Eren live because it would be sending the wrong message that mass murder is acceptable and that Eren had no accountability for his actions.

Yams killed Eren to show that Eren was taking accountability for his actions. Eren himself did not want to die but he felt his actions were unforgivable so that is the reason Yams decided to kill Eren. 

Regarding Levi, yes I do agree that Yams took the pain Levi suffered too far. Reinier killed people too but Yams left him unscathed- the scene with Reinier and his mom was unnecessary- like Reinier himself already had enough character development. In my opinion, Reinier should've died after defeating the worm/parasyte so he could died a hero and that would be his true redemption. I like Reinier- he is one of my favorite characters. Yams left Marley soldiers off easily and the Scouts took the most pain.  Yams probably wanted to show the consequences of war and how tough the life of a soldier is with Levi?

 I feel mostly everyone got a happy ending except for Levi, Eren and Mikasa which is tragic. The problems I have with the ending are that Ymir needed more explanation- she loved Fritz okay but since when was Ymir interested in Mikasa? Where did Ymir go? Are the paths truly gone? Is chapter 138 a memory implanted by Eren or AU? Since Ymir’s tongue was cut off did it grow back after becoming a titan- if it didn’t grow back then is that why we never got direct dialogue from her? So for 2000 years Ymir never spoke a single word out loud? Did Ymir killed Eren’s mother and why throw that out there and not make it clear?When did Eren start loving Mikasa since they were kids or later on? Those are some of my questions to Yams lol. 

I accept the ending. I feel everyone will definitely not be happy with whichever ending Yams gave due to ship wars and fans speculations. For example, some people really hate that Eremika is cannon because they claim they saw no romance and there was with Erehisu? The lack of romance was obviously due to the fact that if Eren and Mikasa gave in to their true feelings they would not be able to fight against each other. Some accept it and some don’t. 

I believe criticism is always valid to improve but hate isn’t appropriate- no matter how anyone did not like the ending- we have to respect the author as an individual. Twitter can be scary when people take it too far so I hope people don’t send hate or death threats to Yams. Being not happy about certain aspects of the story are valid points.  There are some things that needed to be explained more. The beauty and curse and AOT is the complexity it offered and due its complexity not everyone were/are on the same page ༼ʘ̚ل͜ʘ̚༽ and its okay to agree to disagree ^^

 I cannot accept Floch surviving like how and why?