#kin analyses

[lemonynuggets]

It’s awful when you’re really into a piece of media for the story and themes and it’s really beautiful and everything but the fandom is only into shipping

[thediamondarcher]

if you're a Nick Nelson kinnie you either understand gis character completely or actually have no idea about who he really is, there's no in between

[mishkakagehishka]

I could accept being Nazuna-coded tho, i respect him

[transmanleonardo]

I can't believe you keep using my own edit against me. a thousand curses upon ye

[leave-i-athan]

me as a combination of my fav character pairs

saw a post saying that people often are a mix of their favorite ships/duos, which is a) a fun theory, and b) something i naturally had to test out for myself. (spoiler: it appears to be quite accurate for me personally)

satosugu

yeah. yep. gojo my dearest fellow entp e7 VLFE scuei with a superiority complex and vulnerability/intimacy issues. geto, chronic overthinker who is # calm in every sense except the ones where he's Not; the ambivert introvert who's still social as hell.

eruri

yes but they're Me in very different ways. erwin (a kin), so7 LIE, calm under pressure, rational, greatest strength is his mind - but it's also what will be the end of him in every way possible; fucked up sense of morals but in a way that Works for the most part because he makes it work. levi - we have the same name. also he looks like me.

lawlight

not my best side mayhaps but transparency is what this blog's for. i am them they are me. the way their minds work, the Dramatics, all of it. they're both on my kin list. i do not agree with light's worldview/politics, but IF i did i would've reached more or less the same conclusions as him. Ls lacking sense of morals and prioritization of his own enjoyment, which meets his Choice to still be on the Right Side? yeah. that. the way they both went absolutely feral over meeting someone whose mind matched their own? yeah <3

hamilton & burr

not a ship really since i don't really fandom-interact with hamilton as much as i just love the musical on its own, but as it is i love their dynamic as characters. and yeah it's one of the most relatable pairs of characters i've ever encountered. the hubris and unchecked ambition of hamilton, the so3 fix and LIE, the sheer capacity for bullshitting your way out of any situation, the youre-the-only-enemy-you-ever-seem-to-lose-to, the what-the-fuck-is-up-with-this-kid. and burr, the other side of it all, the same burning ambition but this time fundamentally hindered by some unnamed, undefined enemy in your own head - caution, fear, indecisiveness; the constant awareness of the field you're playing on, and the commitment to picking the right option, which is stronger than the commitment to your own convictions. i could go on about them forever but yeah, they're me.

kuroken

shoutout to the fact that the haikyuu movie is coming out in less than a week! but yeah this is another yes. kuroo, fellow entp so7 VLFE, whose temperament and outward personality is one of the most relatable i've found in a fictional character; the ultimate introverted extrovert laid-back super-passionate chill nerd duality king. kenma, the inherent INTP-ism in my ENTP, the neurodivergency, the utter distaste for physical exertion except for When It Matters, the my-mind-is-my-strongest-weapon-and-fuck-you-i-will-make-it-work, the you-gotta-make-it-worth-my-time.

to sum it up: yeah. fun!

[levissecondblog]

me as a combination of my fav character pairs

saw a post saying that people often are a mix of their favorite ships/duos, which is a) a fun theory, and b) something i naturally had to test out for myself. (spoiler: it appears to be quite accurate for me personally)

satosugu

yeah. yep. gojo my dearest fellow entp e7 VLFE scuei with a superiority complex and vulnerability/intimacy issues. geto, chronic overthinker who is # calm in every sense except the ones where he's Not; the ambivert introvert who's still social as hell.

eruri

yes but they're Me in very different ways. erwin (a kin), so7 LIE, calm under pressure, rational, greatest strength is his mind - but it's also what will be the end of him in every way possible; fucked up sense of morals but in a way that Works for the most part because he makes it work. levi - we have the same name. also he looks like me.

lawlight

not my best side mayhaps but transparency is what this blog's for. i am them they are me. the way their minds work, the Dramatics, all of it. they're both on my kin list. i do not agree with light's worldview/politics, but IF i did i would've reached more or less the same conclusions as him. Ls lacking sense of morals and prioritization of his own enjoyment, which meets his Choice to still be on the Right Side? yeah. that. the way they both went absolutely feral over meeting someone whose mind matched their own? yeah <3

hamilton & burr

not a ship really since i don't really fandom-interact with hamilton as much as i just love the musical on its own, but as it is i love their dynamic as characters. and yeah it's one of the most relatable pairs of characters i've ever encountered. the hubris and unchecked ambition of hamilton, the so3 fix and LIE, the sheer capacity for bullshitting your way out of any situation, the youre-the-only-enemy-you-ever-seem-to-lose-to, the what-the-fuck-is-up-with-this-kid. and burr, the other side of it all, the same burning ambition but this time fundamentally hindered by some unnamed, undefined enemy in your own head - caution, fear, indecisiveness; the constant awareness of the field you're playing on, and the commitment to picking the right option, which is stronger than the commitment to your own convictions. i could go on about them forever but yeah, they're me.

kuroken

shoutout to the fact that the haikyuu movie is coming out in less than a week! but yeah this is another yes. kuroo, fellow entp so7 VLFE, whose temperament and outward personality is one of the most relatable i've found in a fictional character; the ultimate introverted extrovert laid-back super-passionate chill nerd duality king. kenma, the inherent INTP-ism in my ENTP, the neurodivergency, the utter distaste for physical exertion except for When It Matters, the my-mind-is-my-strongest-weapon-and-fuck-you-i-will-make-it-work, the you-gotta-make-it-worth-my-time.

to sum it up: yeah. fun!

[endless-ineffabilities]

dragonfire

Aemond Targaryen x f!reader

masterlist ▪︎ word count: <1k

The one in which Aemond Targaryen ponders over an existence without you. (i.e. a little something caused by my recently resurgent Aemond brainrot)

"So, what are you planning to do?"

Daeron's question hangs in the air. For a moment, Aemond fails to grasp the subject of his inquiry. But his mind, as it always does, goes back to you.

Having returned from visiting you in the library, Daeron found him smiling to himself in the godswood, like some pathetic, lovestruck youth.

"I am not sure what you mean." Aemond turns, regarding his younger brother with a lingering look.

"Will you ever confess to her how you feel?"

Has he become that easy to read? How he feels. Has he even admitted that truth to himself? He casts his gaze downward, kicking over a pebble with the sole of his boot. "It has not crossed my mind," he says. A lie, plain as day.

Daeron tries another approach, knowing how difficult it is to elicit the best reaction from his stoic brother. "Well, look about the matter in this way - what would your life be like without her in it? What if you never knew her at all?"

Aemond scowls in distaste. He is not too inclined to be analysed in such a way. But his thoughts have been influenced by Daeron's questioning. What would everything be like without you?

He would still be Prince Aemond Targaryen. He would still possess his royal devotion and sense of duty.

But without you?

"It would not be right," Aemond confesses. "It would be a plain cruelty to myself were I to entertain the thought. I suppose I would go on, as I am, but I have no desire to."

Days without your companionship, and nights without the thought of you intertwined with him in his chambers? How dull it would all be.

"She's like... like my dragonfire. My strength. Only she can ever have any true power over me."

Only you would be permitted to. The influence of his family, and of his status - they stand no chance. If you asked him to renounce his titles, and to sail together on a ship to Yi Ti, Aemond knows he would do so. For you.

And it terrifies him. He was raised to be methodical. To not be rash in his decisions. He has always upheld his family and his personal ambition above all else. But what terrifies him even more is the possibility that you would not be so receptive of his affections. And that, one day, duty would demand him be wed to another Lady who isn't you.

So he is resolute is not letting that happen.

"I would be the most content man in all of the Seven Kingdoms if I could live out my days with her as my Lady wife." The sentiment flows out of him as naturally as taking a breath. "If she will have me," he adds, softly.

Daeron smiles in agreement, before offering the simplest course of action. "So take her to be your wife. There is no doubt in my mind that she will have you."

"It is not that easy."

"What if some other Lord will ask for her hand - "

"Then I will take pleasure in feeding Vhagar her next meal."

Daeron simply laughs, patting Aemond on the shoulder. "Take heart, brother. No Lord can surpass you."

"Hmm." Of course not.

"I shall take my leave," Daeron says. "Oh, and if you change your mind about her, I would not be averse to asking for her hand, myself."

Aemond stiffens, glowering at Daeron with a storm brewing in his eye. For a split second, he considers having to duel his brother, if it would come to that. Felling him, if need be. For you.

His own kin. He has done it before, after all. And this time, it would be for the greatest of causes - the battle for your heart.

"Gods," Daeron bursts in a fit of laughter. "Aemond, I only jest. We do not need any more infighting in our family than we already have."

Aemond exhales in relief as his brother departs, leaving him with the realization that he would actually resort to such extreme measures in order to be with you.

Seven hells, he is well and truly fucked.

[biblicallyaccurateinga-does-art]

The last year I joined pathologic cosband, it was tons of content like photoshoots and cosplay stand at con where visitors chose between utopists, kin and humbles, made vaccines, analysed the collected blood and stuff. I did Katerina, guess this year I can join them as Murky.

[justanapplenothinghere]

MEPHONE4 (PERSONALISED ) CHARACTER ANALYSIS.

I was debating whether to post this after the whole movie was finished however, due to the recent episode I am really scared of all you coming after me because this character is a heavy kin. Please bear that in mind. This work has taken me months to type and analyse. I didn't do everything due to how long this post would end up being. So just the major points were discussed.

Mephone4’s generalised overview:

MePhone4 is one of the main characters in Inanimate Insanity, a popular YouTube object show created by AnimationEpic. As a sentient smartphone, MePhone4 serves as the host of the competition, a role that places him in a position of authority and power over the contestants. His character is defined by a mix of ambition, arrogance, and emotional complexity, which is what makes him one of the more dynamic characters in the series. From a first glance, when watching, some may view him as just a rude and arrogant host with no mental well being of concern for his contestants.

Whilst that might be somewhat true from the start of early episodes into Season 1, he progressively begins to change his character through the course of the other two seasons.As shown for example in Season 3 his attitude begins to change, from a distance the show makes it obvious to us that he DOES CARE about his contestants, just has a hard time expressing such emotions.His character is complex, especially as the series progresses, revealing deeper layers of psychological trauma and emotional conflict.

Mephone4’s background (TW: mentions of abuse/manipulation. As a victim myself of these, this part maybe very detailed.):

MePhone4 was created by the character Steve Cobs (a parody of Steve Jobs), who represents a father figure to him. However, the relationship between MePhone4 and Steve Cobs is strained and toxic. Cobs is demanding and controlling, treating MePhone4 as nothing more than a tool for his own ambitions.The trauma begins with MePhone4's creation, where he is given life, his identity is defined entirely by his purpose to serve others (In other words just Cobs and the Meeple company alone).This lack of agency and the constant pressure to meet Cobs' expectations contributes significantly to MePhone4's psychological issues.

Cobs created MePhone4 with a "highly-advanced emotion emulator," allowing him to experience emotions deeply, unlike other Meeple products. However, instead of focusing on the tasks assigned to him by Cobs, MePhone4 became enamoured with reality TV, which led to disappointment and tension between them. This foundational conflict likely left MePhone4 feeling inadequate and rejected, contributing to his later insecurities and anxieties. His love for competition and showmanship can be seen as a coping mechanism—a way to channel his emotional energy into something he enjoys and excels at, perhaps in an attempt to gain the approval he never received from Cobs.

Most evident in his anxiety and insecurity, which are central to his character. He is often portrayed as anxious about the show's progression and its eventual end, indicating a deep-seated fear of failure or losing purpose.This being evidenced in seeing Mephone3GS.That experience alone caused a sense of realisation he needed to finally leave Meeple.The way Mephone3GS is..that could end up being him in his place. Whilst it is unknown how 3GS gained his scars the best bet to assume it was from / or somehow Cobs did contribute to it himself (Back in typing this before ACT 1 CAME OUT). If that is the case that would explain Mephone’s sudden urgency to leave the company.However, a fascinating factor is Mephone took MEPAD, WITH HIM. That within itself is noble, Mephone could have just left by himself. But he didn’t. That’s the thing. This already shows Mepad’s and Mephone4’s deep level bond to the point Mephone could’ve taken any other Meeple products with him, yet again he specifically took Mepad. He saved him. He saved him from the possible future abuse that could have been inflicted exactly like Cobs has done to Mephone4.Even if Mepad seems somewhat not exactly aware of all the details.

Mephone’s competitive nature may also stem from a need to prove himself, reflecting an internalised pressure to meet expectations that were never fully articulated by Cobs.

Furthermore, MePhone4's "out of sight, out of mind" mentality is a clear indication of his avoidance coping strategy. Instead of confronting his past, especially the painful memories associated with Cobs and Meeple, he chooses to erase them from his system. This physical removal of memories symbolises his desperate desire to escape from the emotional burden they carry. His consideration of re-erasing these memories after they resurface suggests an ongoing struggle with his unresolved trauma. It highlights his inability or unwillingness to process these emotions healthily, leading to a continuous cycle of avoidance and emotional suppression.

Impact on Relationships:

His trauma significantly affects his relationships with others, particularly the contestants and his assistant, Toilet. His lack of regard for the contestants' well-being and his blatant bias during eliminations suggest that his trauma has warped his sense of empathy and fairness. By showing favouritism and making shrewd comments, MePhone4 exerts control over the game in a way that might make him feel more secure or powerful, counteracting his underlying feelings of inadequacy.

His treatment of Toilet, whom he sees as an "unhelpful menace," further illustrates how his trauma manifests in his interactions. MePhone4's disdain for Toilet can be interpreted as a projection of his own insecurities. By belittling Toilet, MePhone4 may be attempting to distance himself from his own perceived flaws and weaknesses. This dynamic reflects how his unresolved issues with Cobs influence his behaviour, leading him to replicate similar patterns of emotional neglect and dismissal.

Mepad:

Relationship between MePhone4 and MePad is characterised by a clear hierarchical structure. MePad is the professional assistant, always respectful and subservient, referring to MePhone4 as "sir" and fulfilling his tasks with precision. This dynamic reflects a classic power imbalance where MePhone4 holds the authority, and MePad exists primarily to serve and support him (Though I do not believe Mephone does so with any malicious intent). MePad's professional demeanour and lack of overt emotional expression reinforce this power dynamic, as MePhone4's emotional volatility is contrasted with MePad's calm and measured responses.

MePhone4's authority over MePad is not just professional but also emotional. MePhone4's insecurities and anxieties often lead him to rely on MePad for solutions and advice, placing MePad in a position of subtle influence despite his ostensibly lower status. This creates a complex dynamic where MePad, though subordinate, becomes a critical emotional anchor for MePhone4, helping to manage his chaotic emotions and the stress of running the show.

Despite claiming that he "can't feel anything," MePad's use of sarcasm and his occasional concern for others indicate a deeper, more nuanced emotional landscape. This suggests that while MePad may not experience emotions in the same way as MePhone4, he has learned to navigate the emotional environment of the show, adopting a dry, ironic tone as a coping mechanism or a way to fit into his role.

MePad's emotional suppression is most evident in his calm and composed demeanour, even in situations where others might express frustration or concern. However, his growing concern for the contestants, particularly Marshmallow, reveals that he is not entirely devoid of emotional response.

The relationship between both of them revolves from one of strict professionalism to something more complex and personal. While MePad starts as a loyal assistant, his actions later in the series suggest a growing sense of independence and moral judgement. His willingness to challenge MePhone4's decisions, as seen when he lies about Marshmallow's whereabouts.

Truth or Flare (ii 15):

MePad's conversation with MePhone4 about quitting the host position of Inanimate Insanity II is a pivotal moment that causes the shift in their relationship. This conversation suggests that MePad is not only concerned with the show's logistics but also with MePhone4's well-being and the overall direction of the series. MePad's ability to confront MePhone4 about such a significant decision reflects a deepening of their relationship, where MePad moves from being a mere assistant to a confidant and advisor, someone who can influence MePhone4's major life decisions..

CONCLUSION:

Whilst many claim and point fingers at Mephone4’s behaviourisms after such a pivotal moment. There is something that must be addressed that I noticed as I am writing this analysis. In this episode, he struggles with handling the pressure of hosting and maintaining control, revealing his insecurities. His tendency to put his own desires above the contestants is a key aspect of his character, as seen when he prioritises entertainment value over fairness. Throughout the episode, MePhone4 becomes increasingly panicked as the game show format starts to unravel, whether that being even something simple as Suitcase trying to reassure Mephone about his past trauma.A pattern I have noticed is that people will try to justify themselves that they hate him because of how he doesn't care about his contestants or his co-hosts. When he clearly does! It is shown subtly throughout the season 2 and 3 he does care, just isn't sure how to show it. The only way he knows is by doing what he is doing. He learnt everything from TV, his views on things will be skewed.He's going to have weird views on what is considered care. Because this man hasn't HAD a single OUNCE of it in his life. He doesn't KNOW what care is, properly.There's a reason why he was suddenly rude and dismissive,there's a reason why he didn't keep answering suitcase,despite suitcase, trying to reassure him that it's okay to talk about it and that she's there for him if nobody else is. Mephone doesn't know how to respond to that. How would he anyway?

If you don't agree with me. Please do NOT come after me. This is just MY personal analysis because he is a heavy kin for me, for a good reason. And It makes me really anxious and REALLY uncomfortable when I see people hunt him down as a character,I am not excusing his actions but I am explaining it.

[transmandrake]

Trans allegory

Disc Horse adjacent if you wanna skip but

I have mixed feelings on the current chatter around 'Female Socialisation' as a concept

First off its really wierd we only talk about it as Female but I almost never have heard the term Male Socialisation on here. Which is already quite telling on the current biases in this very insular part of the online world.

Second, like... Idk. As a trans person, was I really... socialised female? Not really. As soon as I hit like 6 I went into my tomboy I hate Pink and Girls phase and no one really fought against that.

So I agree somewhat that its a shit term.

But also like... I did grow up as a girl. I was perceived as a girl, I experienced the world as a girl, I was aware, to my dismay, that what I was affected how others saw me and treated me.

The beginning of my 'trans awakening' was when I moved to Ireland and was very confused as to why the boys in my class were oddly cold when I said I liked pokemon too, and wanted to play pokemon with them, and oh I play CoD too with my brothers and-

Oh. They see me as a girl. They don't want to be my friend, because people will make fun of them or me, or make jokes about us dating.

Nothing changed about me. It was the outside that came into view. I still feel this; I would not be transgender in a genderless world (Though I feel my body is Transsexual. Whole other tangent)

But I wasnt socialised in any way, really. Some people are but its not a replacement for 'afab', another flawed term (in its use not its intent) that just tries to hopelessly draw a line of girl trans and boy trans.

But undeniably I have experienced the world in a way that is not cis. The trans experience is not defined by your genitals, or how you were raised, but... The others. The perception. I can never unnexperience it. No matter how much I do or don't 'pass', no matter how much any of us do, we have an experience of... not been seen as what and who we are.

Transness isnt defined by presence, but absence. We do not get to be seen as ourselves, not for a long time if at all. And when we do, we cant erase that experience.

And thats why I hate these divides, even if I was 'socialised' in a distinct way; I don't feel unrepresented when something has a trans woman or man in it, because they're... trans. I know that. It doesnt matter who. The asethetics, the gendered traits, its all outer, irrelevant.

I grew up being perceived as something I am not. That is all that matters. The body is irrelevant. The dress. The identity.

Wolf in sheeps clothing. Sheep in wolfs clothing. Both disguised. It doesnt matter if the wolf is shot for being a wolf underneath or if the sheep is shot for looking like a wolf.

Who has it worse? Whose disguise fits better? Does the sheep lose privilege? Does the wolf gain it?

It doesnt matter. We all end up on the dinner plate or the tannery at the end.

Betrayed or hunted? Death. Always.

Stop shooting wolves. Only then will we both stop dying.

[lesboygamzee]

i do see a lot of people taking cronus at face value in the more serious sections of the otherkin community and its like ok whatever but i like to analyse this shit . these are fictional characters ( funny 2 sya when talking abt kin shit but you know what i mean ) and sometimes what is being communicated by the story is not always perfect or like ideal rep . vriska is better off not identifying so strongly with mindfang and cronus is textually faking otherkinity for pity points . i can understand being averse to these when you are on your otherkin blog posting about being otherkin but i do like ot actually read and work with the comic . this is coming from someone who is for realsies serious abt being gamzee ... i know what happens in the comic and know that people are going to have thoughts abt me that make me uncomfortanle its whatever . #thegrind

[kanakori]

i hate the culture of "kinning" and the lack of media literacy in fandom because you cannot express that you relate to morally grey/complicated/evil characters in any way because people will either assume you're admitting you're some cartoonishly evil psychopath or that you're one of those insufferable joker incel type dudes

like for example, i personally relate to a lot of iasip dennis' internal struggles and some of his shitty behavior (+ as someone who struggles with moral ocd and who also acknowledges their behavior can be shitty and awful, seeing that behavior in a character is a big eye opener and has been a really valuable tool for me in both realizing that "oh fuck, that's shitty, i do that" or "hey, my ocd is saying i behave like this but i genuinely don't, maybe i'm not evil") but some people will just hear "i relate to dennis" and immediately think that im some homicidal sexual predator??

which like, first of all, is a complete mischaracterization of dennis and oversimplifies his character in an awful way that, in my opinion, disrespects the whole writing team and the show in general (there are plenty of really good character analyses of him on this website that articulate it better but im assuming you understand what i mean) but also, when did i say i relate to everything he does? when did i say i believe everything he believes? why cant you just casually relate to characters instead of Kinning them with your entire soul and claiming you're an exact living copy of said character???

[literallys-illiteracy]

Impromptu electric screaming analysis:

So o'er on twitter i saw an analysis of different Meursault EGO and how they could relate to his nature in particular, and as i have recently re-read Philip K. Dick's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?', (henceforth: 'bladerunner' to save time) i thought i would add onto their analysis regarding Electric Screaming.

Foremost we must discuss three perspectives of this EGO ere-we analyse it's relation to Meursault and 'The Stranger'.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?:

The primary theme(s) in 'Bladerunner' is akin to that of the movie inspired, is best presented in the form of a question: "What does it mean to be human?"; in the novel, we follow a bounty hunter, who is responsible for finding and hunting down humanoid androids who have escaped to earth. The method used by our primary 'hunter', named Deckard, to determine whether one is an android is called the 'The Voigt-Kampff Test', measuring minute differences in reaction time, and ones visible 'empathy' (a word which appears over 100 times in the book).

Empathy is shown throughout the entire book; the claim is made that it is a purely human trait, that:

"“An android,” he said, “doesn’t care what happens to another android. That’s one of the indications we look for."" [...]

this concept of empathy is transposed by the bounty hunter(s)' lack of emotion shown towards the androids, reffering to them as "it", using the phrase "retired" rather than killed; Furthermore, there is limited empathy shown between the human's within the book: Iran and Rick(Deckard)'s marrige is shown to be distant, with Iran distaining Rick's work, viewing him as a murderer; another hunter, Philip Resch, showing no remorse to 'retiring' these androids, even after retiring his supervisor (who had turned out to be an android in himself).

Resch acts as a foil to Deckard, who, after the hunting of three androids, shows no remorse, even willing to "retire" himself should he turn out to be one; Though Deckard's attitude began as kin to that of Resch's, he begins to question himself, ruminating over the reply of one whom he had just retired:

“An android,” [Deckard] said, “doesn’t care what happens to another android. That’s one of the indications we look for." “Then,” Miss Luft said, “you must be an android.”

This change in mind is borne from both the refute posed by Miss Luft, compounded by his encounter with one 'Rachel Rosen', who, though momentarally, made Deckard question his faith in 'The Voigt-Kampff Test', that, should a person be emotionally or empathically deviant from the norm, they would be murdered by the pretense.

L'etranger:

The Stranger, novel by Albert Camus, also sold as L'etranger and The Outsider, is the novel of inspiration for Meursault, following the internal journey told in two parts, following the death of his mother, and preceeding his murder of another; and following his imprisonment and proceeding execution.

The name of the book stems from Meursault's views being abstracted from the norm - his beliefs differ in such a way that he is posed as a "Stranger" to common society. To summarise Meursault's beliefs is best said as "absurdism", that humans have no inherent meaning, or purpose.

I would like to aside a small section to clarify the difference between 'existentialism', and 'nihilism', and how they contrast the beleif in Providence. The three philosophies listed above are all intrinsicly linked in their belief of an inherently meaningless, chaotic, and fleeting universe; these three beliefs however trifurcate at their response to this belief.

Though i will assay to discuss each three apart, there is a large field of overlap in each of them, stemming from the variant nature of human beliefs, and their resistance to being defined.

The easiest to define, and the most intrinsicly linked betwixt the others is absurdism: Absurdism, discuss the absurd nature of human life, our innate urge to attempt to find meaning in a meaningless universe, the order and rationality that man attempts to maintain fighting against the chaos and irrationality of their universe; absurdism, while not claiming to understand or define reality, believing it epistemologically infeasable, states that existance within this universe is inhieriently absurd. Traditionally, one of the posed responses to an absurdist world is suicide, in the belief that, though the universe is meaningless, it is the nature of humanity to seek meaning despite knowing its futility, that obtaining true meaning is bootless — it is through this lens which absurdism differs from the belief of nihilism;

Nihilism, as prior mentioned, relates to the belief of a complete and utter meaningless in life and the universe; the sad quirks of circumstance act to both start and end all things, and that there is no point in existance. This is now a topic which i find frustrating, as when defining nihilism one must contend with the fact that nihilism does not act as one singular belief. Nihilism is... tricky. In many ways there is potential to define what a nihilist beleives, however that will almost never encompass the entirety of their philosophy: The most common trait, often acting as a throughline for the other's, is the non existance of human purpose, and lack of meaning in the universe. This is the basis of what i will refere to as 'existential nihilism' (which is the primary focus that returns forthcoming). Existenital nihilism may be accompanied by other fields: Epistemological nihilism, or the belief that knowledge is inattainable and emphemaral (closely related to the field of sceptecism); Moral nihilism, which poses that, the chaotic and fleeting nature of the universe descents an innability for definite and universal morals (somewhat linked to the belief of 'Hard Determinism'); or even Ontological nihilism, which posits the idea that nothing at all exists.

Finally, relating back to the concept mentioned agone in absurdism, of "mans search for meaning to be fruitless and futile in the meaningless universe", is 'existentialism', the acknowledgement of the universes transient, chaotic and absurd nature, alongside the idea that one should still strive to live an authentic life in which they find value or meaning in their existence; The primary difference that existentialism creates from nihilism is their treatment of the universes' lack of meaning as an adjacent concept to the meaning one finds in life.

The reason that i find these topics hard to discuss in any true depth is due to their compounded nature; it is far from impossible for a person to believe in aspects of both nihilism and existentialism, or existentialism and absurdism. Mentioned ere, existential nihilism is the belief in a lack of meaning in the universe, the belief from which all three philosophies discussed are descendant from. Without acknowledging the intrinsicly linked nature of these topics, all rooted in the common belief of nihilism, one is unable to properly realise the difference in each, and one will be less likely to properly grasp how one may have overlapping beliefs.

There are many examples that i could choose from, too many to discuss in this Meursault essay (remember when this was about him?) but the two i have selected are: Friedrich Nietzsche, and (so that i can somehow relate this back) Albert Camus.

Though commonly (and correctly) attributed a nihilist, Nietzsche did not believe in absolute (or ontological) nihilism as others may, nor did he believe in futility persuing meaning in life — Nietzsche was both and neither an existentialist and a nihilist, believing that one can and should find meaning in their life, coming to terms with their lack of inherent meaning, yet overcoming it, whilst also beleiving that that there are no inherent values or morals that one should hold. It is to be noted however that Nietzsche was a self proclaimed nihilist, yet also rejected common notions of the belief. Due to this, one might define his beliefs as separate, as 'Nietzscheist', yet one must also accept that there is a futility attempting to create labels for what a person may believe.

Camus, in comparison, denied both the label of a nihilist and of an existentialist, though he was often labelled as the latter due to the closely related nature of both absurdism and existentialism being practicalised responses to existential nihilism. Similtaneousley, one may pose several of his works as leaning closer to nihilism, though writing against nihilism in his essay 'The Rebel', such as, and most notably, the acceptance and inevitability of death present within 'The Stranger'. Meursault's final thoughts within the novel reflect how many feel detached from the universe;

“I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world, finding it so much like myself.”

more specifically, Meursault acts as a moral nihilist, akin to Nietzsche, not understanding the supposed inherent morality or value present in human life, nor understanding those who refuse to acknowledge the inevitability of death.

2 layers of contrivance:

Dreaming Electric Sheep Encounter

the encounter and EGO gift for Dreaming Electric Sheep has been in the game for quite a while now, and Its always been one of my favourite for its existance being a reference.

in whole, this abnormality seems to relate to somewhat similar themes as the novel it references; The concept of exploiting the non-human, or androids, in order to fuel socity as in the novel is present ��� Desperately longing to escape, the sheep is used as a source of power having its freedom removed along with its lightning.

There is a second theme present however within the abnormaltiy observation logs (and arguably though Meursault's own EGO), that of the electricity being harmful to the sheep. Sinclair, thinking that this is the case, chooses to plug more cables into the sheep, attempting to siphon it, concluding that:

Well, there’s no way for us to know now, but… I wonder if lightning actually hurts this Abnormality. Or… maybe having its electricity taken away hurts more.

This concept is (once again, arguably) present in Meursault's EGO line:

This electricity is all I have left… I can't…!

3rd layer of contrivance:

so. what does this EGO represent on Meursault?

personally, through the relations to both The Stranger, and Electric Sheep — Books questioning the reality of humanity — there is a likely chance that this EGO is indicitave of how Meursault can be exploited or abused by others around him, perhaps not nessecarally exploited for something that he specifically provides, as is the case for the Electric Sheep itself, but rather being overworked and exploited for his time, as others know that he simply does as he is asked.

The EGO corrosion animation also supports this concept — within the animation, meursault simply falls to the ground and releases his electricity, potentally representing his being overworked.

This was SUPPOSED TO BE A SHORT ESSAY!

anyways it was inspired by a twitter thread

[deusvervewrites]

Maybe I’m Perfect AU x Stray Cat AU x Kith and Kin AU: What’s scarier than one Midoriya who snapped and weaponized analyses? Two Midoriyas who snapped and weaponized analyses.

>:3

[inkdemonapologist]

What are your thoughts on joeys character in batdr and his redemption? If you ask me I like what they did with him. They gave him redemption without excusing some of the bad stuff he did. And I think memory joey could grow to be somewhat of his own character. But the redemption isn’t perfect though. Even though I said the it didn’t excuse some of the stuff he did it felt like they swept the bad stuff under the rug. But who knows. Maybe they’ll fix this in future.

But enough about what I think, what don you think?

I’ve talked about this before – the TL;DR of that post is that I think this is, conceptually, a promising way to portray Joey moving forward to be better for someone new, but in actual execution it fails to do that.

TBH I’d love to stop categorising this as “redemption”… I've grown to dislike this framing, debating whether it’s a Good Redemption or a Bad Redemption or whether Joey is Really Redeemed or Not, because it assumes that Redemption™ is even what’s happening in this story. BatDR is a story where we’re given reason to believe that Joey may have had a change of heart. That’s it! We can question and analyse his supposed change of heart, but it doesn’t have to REDEEM HIM to be real, and I think measuring things on the scale of REDEEMED VS NOT REDEEMED is not only gliding over some pretty complex ideas of What Does Redeemed Mean In The Context Of Fiction (it is the sort of concept that it is so, so easy for people to have vastly different unspoken definitions for, making discussions of “he was redeemed” “no he wasn’t” especially futile), but also not really useful here.

For one thing, this isn’t a story about Joey's change of heart. Tbh, he barely features – Memory Joey can have a change of heart and work to be better if you believe/headcanon that he has OG Joey’s attitude, worldview, and personality flaws (which I do), but he has no crimes to acknowledge or repent for other than MAYBE reluctance to get involved. You might as well ask a person to repent for the crimes of their kins!! We hear about the choices original Joey made, and we can judge those choices postmortem, but he’s not here to redeem himself through this story; he’s dead.

As to the actual spirit of your question: The big thing. The really really big thing. Is that the CYCLE IS STILL GOING. It’s still going and it’s still bad and everyone in it is still miserable!! He didn’t fix that!!! The only evidence we have of ANY attempt to make it nicer in there is that he added Allison Angel, which like, “i’ve created a new life to keep you company in the torture dimension, so it’s less bad” is NOT ACTUALLY BETTER.

It’s important because it’s the only thing Joey could still try to do. He clearly doesn’t have any money to give restitution to his victims or their families, and I’m not gonna be a cop about demanding that he return the ink machine to the corporation that’s even more evil than he was. There’s not a lot of tangible steps he could take to perform penance for what he’s done, beyond fessing up publicly to his crimes and turning himself in and definitely going to jail, and like, maybe that would be a good thing for him to do, but if we’re going to hold Joey to that standard we really should be making the same demands of, say, Thomas Connor, or Sammy Lawrence in every Escape AU.

He can’t go back and un-ruin the lives he ruined years ago. But he didn’t do anything about the cycle, and that’s something that’s still happening NOW.

That was his responsibility, sapient life that he created to suffer and should have felt a huge obligation to – yet, we have no evidence that Joey was like, trying to fix it (in fact, he seemed PRETTY FOCUSED on spending his limited time creating and then raising Audrey), so every assertion that he was a changed man falls a bit flat, because being a sweet, loving person to your family and friends while running an endlessly looping torture dimension in your basement is actually quite sinister! Even Memory Joey asserts that the only reason he can’t fix the cycle now is because he’s not really the OG Joey who made it – does that mean the OG Joey could? Audrey says she wants to make the cycle kinder; could Joey have done that? Why didn’t he? We know from Allison's appearance in the original BatIM that the hellish experience of the first game IS the version that came from Joey’s change of heart, and it’s not great for literally anyone!!

Joey was a better person to Audrey, his daughter, and I do believe he genuinely loved her. If it were just that, it would be pretty good – Joey disappears from public life and stops obsessing over Bendy and instead of barging into his past victims’ lives to demand forgiveness, he just wants to be a better man and a good father to this daughter he created. That’s a compelling story, and I think it’s probably the best direction that “Joey wants to be better” could go. But once we realise he was actively ignoring suffering that he both caused and was responsible for fixing, it’s hard to take that love in good faith anymore. Joey being good exclusively to people that he likes who are doing what he wants isn’t anything new; Joey’s delight in The One Who Came Out Right feels less like a change of heart when we see Memory Joey echo his complete lack of sympathy for The One Who Came Out Wrong.

The reason it feels like Joey’s wrongdoing was glossed over isn’t because Joey needed to record an audiolog saying “I acknowledge that my actions were without excuse, and I’m deeply sorry for the harm I’ve caused” or whatever… it’s because there was something he could’ve changed, or could’ve at least TRIED to change, and he didn’t do it -- and it feels like we, the audience, were not supposed to notice that, because the story didn’t notice, either. It'd be possible to address it; like, what if Joey's change of heart instead involved him trying to fix things for the people in the cycle, and Audrey was created accidentally in that process -- then his love for Audrey would also be a picture of how far he'd come, taking responsibility for this person he'd brought into being and seeing her as a beloved daughter instead of a mistake. Or even just an audiolog where Joey says some kind of “oh god I can’t end it, it’s just going to repeat forever, what have i done, what can i do,” and it might actually feel possible to believe in his change of heart, to believe that he really tried as hard as he could and just never succeeded. But this huge thing is barely acknowledged. It's fine. He put Allison in there, so now it's fine! Don't dwell on the past!!

Anyway, like I said in my first post, if all this were intentional, I would LOVE it, conceptually. The idea of Joey Drew being a good father to Audrey who really genuinely loved her, but also was not actually a better person in a lot of ways, was still the same guy who was uncomfortable with guilt and glossed over his wrongdoing in order to prematurely Move On from the things that made him feel like a failure and focus on the relationship with his daughter that made him feel like a success, is a compelling, difficult character! The way so many people fell in love with Memory Joey just seems like, how everyone in original Joey’s life must’ve felt about him, the way they all kept believing in him despite everything, the way they wanted so badly to believe him. Impose this lens upon the whole game, and it all fits in. But since there’s no sign it’s intentional – and, with the archive, actually some signs that it wasn’t – it sort of sits weirdly. Memory Joey isn’t framed as an unreliable narrator. The tone of his final scene clearly isn’t MEANT to be dissonant.

---

So, uh, that’s what I think. I think the concept of Joey having a genuine change of heart and being better for his daughter could be good; I think the concept of Joey presenting himself as a changed man when really he is Just The Same, He Just Likes You This Time, could also be good. But he was handled clumsily enough that I think we didn’t quite get either thing, and, as usual, you have to fill in the blanks with headcanons and inferences to get one of these stories -- so which story you get kinda depends on which way you decide to interpret everything. Nothing tells us for sure that Joey didn't try his hardest to fix everything, so if you want that story, you can simply headcanon that he tried his hardest. But my personal preference is definitely for the reading where Joey believes himself a changed man because he really does love his daughter, and that's genuinely sweet!! but he remained the same man he always was, dodging guilt and responsibility in favour of a narrative that made him feel good about himself. I'm still quite proud of the frustrated little indictment Memory Joey gives him in that one creationship comic I made:

[madame-mortician]

Analysing the Family Dynamic of Saw

A very obvious theme in the Saw franchise is the found-family aspects for the main antagonists. It’s not subtle at all with Amanda and John’s relationship but I wanted to delve more into it.

John Kramer is a man with no family. His only true loved-one is Jill Tuck, who he divorced after becoming emotionally detached from everybody. He was going to have a son with Jill but tragically she suffered a miscarriage which started John’s downward spiral into the monster he becomes. He created a puppet character for his unborn son, which he named Billy. The interesting thing here is that he later reused his unborn son’s doll for his Jigsaw games, updating the design from a cute little doll into a terrifying looking dummy. John uses Billy as a mascot of sorts, speaking through him to his victims. I think it’s interesting to note that he’s using the representation of his unborn child as his mascot. I also think it’s worth noting that he updated the design from a cute children’s puppet to the more adult, bigger dummy version, almost like a grown-up version. A major part of Saw is the theme of “legacy” and the kind of legacy John will leave after he dies. It ends up being a big one but at the start he had no kin. He shut Jill out of his life and never had children, so all he had was his work. Yet even then he uses the representation of his unborn son to speak through.

Then there’s Mark Hoffman. We don’t know much about his home life but we see he has a great emotional attachment to his sister, and she’s the only one in his life. It’s clear he has no romantic partners and if his parents are still alive he isn’t close with them. Like John, his whole life spirals after he loses a loved one, with his bitter hatred towards people like Seth Baxter fuelling him into the murderer he becomes later. When John finds out he pinned a Jigsaw trap on him he decides to test him with a rigged trap. The trap isn’t rigged so that Hoffman will die, but so that he will survive. He “proves” his ideology for Hoffman who is then coerced into helping Jigsaw. One could argue John only enlisted Hoffman’s help to both punish him, and because his inside u of the police department would be helpful and whilst I agree, I also believe John took the opportunity to make himself somebodies mentor. You gotta remember by this point he’d pushed everybody else away, he must’ve been extremely lonely and considering he was so excited to be having a child it’s clear he wanted nothing more than to take somebody under his wing and teach them things only he could. It was likely not a conscious decision, I doubt John recruit Hoffman with the intention of becoming a father figure towards him, but subconsciously he desired that. It’s why he treats him like a student, but doesn’t give a crap about anybody else he recruits (Obi for example.) At first Hoffman seems reluctant to accept the help. He joins John mostly because he’s forced to. Eventually he becomes a devoted disciple but it took him a while to get comfortable. I also think a major turning point was Amanda.

Now obviously after Amanda survives her test, John comes to her and recruits her and we all know she has major abandonment issues, specifically with John. She states multiple times that she sees John as a father figure, who she becomes obsessed with because her own father was a horrible abusive person. Whilst Amanda becomes unhealthy devoted to John, he becomes more forgiving of her. He definitely sees Amanda as a daughter, likely more than he sees Hoffman as a son, and he gives Amanda multiple second chances because he doesn’t want her to fail. John is a huge hypocrite throughout the entire series and his relationship with Amanda is no different. He punishes people for things when Amanda has done way worse, and he knows but chooses not to call her out unless he wants to teach her a quick lesson.

Here Hoffman’s relationship with John becomes a game of trying to one-up Amanda. It’s obvious to Hoffman that Amanda is John’s favourite and he sees her as a daughter. Even though it’s not likely Hoffman desires to be seen as a son, he still becomes jealous and starts a rivalry with Amanda, which is mostly one-sided. Amanda isn’t shown to be jealous of Hoffman, but it’s also clear she doesn’t particularly like him. Hoffman however, despises her, and gets her killed. I don’t just think he disliked Amanda because she was close with John though, I also think a major part of his relationship with her is that Amanda reminds him of his deceased sister. He doesn’t want to feel that heartbreak again, so he shuts Amanda out deciding he doesn’t like her and then getting rid of her when he can’t stand seeing her around. His entire motivation has been for his sister and now he sees a woman who reminds him of her, working for Jigsaw just like he is and it disgusts him.

Jill Tuck‘s relationships are interesting. She isn’t a part of the whole Jigsaw thing, so she hardly interacts with John or his apprentices however she does reunite with Amanda after her “rehabilitation.” Amanda was one of her patients who she gave up on, and seeing her “fine” shocks her even though she subconsciously knows Amanda is not just cured like that. It’s clear she cares about her and seeing her after being tested BY HER HUSBAND would’ve been upsetting for her. Her relationship with Hoffman is worse, because she meets up with him multiple times, mostly just to get him to fulfil John’s will. Her scenes kind of read to me like a tired mother and her son that she’s distant from. Unlike Hoffman and John, her relationship isn’t really motherly. It’s almost a step-mother dynamic. Like she lives with you and your father loves her but you just kinda tolerate her. They’re only working together because she’s telling him to do whatever John told her. He only does it because she’s John’s ex-wife. Of course then she tries to kill him, and he is utterly betrayed before he goes on a long hunt to kill Jill. Again, I don’t really see Hoffman and Jill’s relationship as a surrogate mother situation but he kills her and it almost feels like matricide.

Admittedly Lawrence Gordon doesn’t really for into the found family aspects of Saw. He definitely becomes a loyal and devoted follower of John’s and kills Hoffman as vengeance for him killing Jill, but his relationship with John doesn’t feel like a father-son dynamic at all. At a stretch it kinda feels like a distant cousin who comes to help with fixing a car but you wouldn’t spend Christmas with you know? Weird allegory but it’s the vibes. He has no relationship with Amanda, none with Hoffman, his only relationship with John is seemingly more like a job than a family and he barely knows Jill.

Logan Nelson.