#kind of interesting to think what's at my core after such an experience haha

[yanguazalie]

I dedicate this cool-down drawing to donut bagels, Uglydolls, and especially Wang Chung! :D

Evidently these two have had a hold on me the past few posts lol

[genericpuff]

Was your Kore/Persephone portrayal inspired by dissociative disorders? I interpreted it more as her dark internal monologue that she was suppressing. Like when you have dark thoughts of know things inherently, but try to rationalize your way out of thinking them. I figured it was just a more dramatic way of portraying intrusive thoughts.

Ahh this isn't really a question I can answer with a simple "yes" or "no". Especially when considering everything you just listed are often inherently symptoms of many interlinked mental disorders like DID and BPD haha (especially when it comes to the suppressing).

As I mentioned in my previous post I've been writing these types of characters for years. Uzuki is a big one that comes to mind. I love writing conflicts of the self, mind vs. reality, identity vs. instinct, past vs. present, etc.

CW: BLOOD/GORE, GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, DEPICTION OF TRAUMATIC BREAKDOWNS AND DISSOCIATION AHEAD!!!

(note the black and grey pages are read right to left like a manga, this was from my weeb days LOL)

It wasn't until years later after I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism that I realized my love for those tropes was rooted in something far more internal. Sure, sometimes a trope is just a trope, but now I fully understand why I've found myself pulled back to that trope time and time again, because I myself have struggled with a lot of the same internal conflicts that characters like Uzuki and Kore have struggled with. It wasn't just me loving a trope, it was me finding solidarity and representation in characters who shared my experiences, even if they were largely hypothetical or for the sake of creative expression.

That realization came long before Rekindled, of course, but it hit me like a sack of bricks when it did, as any realization of an undiagnosed disorder tends to do after years of thinking you're just "broken". That said, it's allowed me to explore these topics with even more nuance and understanding, while also pointing out my own weaknesses and blind spots in the pre-conceived notions I had about myself that I was then able to challenge once I knew what was really going on. It was still challenging as it was so personal, but it ultimately made me a stronger person and a stronger writer.

Skip to the future though with Rekindled, everything I just explained is why I was so interested in LO's AoW plotline to begin with, because a lot of it played to my own interests in those sorts of characterizations - consequently, it was one of the plotlines I wanted to overhaul the most when I started coming up with the basis for Rekindled, as I was disappointed that it was forgotten about over the course of S2 and completely retconned by the trial arc. In a weird way, it almost feels like all the time I spent working with characters like Uzuki was preparing me for a character like Kore/Persephone. And conversely, writing about Kore/Persephone has helped me harness my skills more which I can take back with me when it comes time to continue Uzuki's story.

All that said, mental disorders and neurodiversity were never "inspiration" to me when I was learning how to write and/or designing these characters, but that didn't make them any less intersectional. It was more like something that just came naturally to me as someone who is neurotypical and has diagnosed mental disorders (I am my own worst inspirations LOL) and I wanted more characters like that who weren't just automatically "villains". I try to always treat them with care to ensure that I'm being kind to both the characters as well as myself as someone who heavily relates to these experiences, but I'm also not really afraid to express the more "ugly" sides of those experiences either. Especially with characters like Uzuki who are largely problematic to their core in their actions - much of those actions, as I would learn about myself in my own healing journey as well, are often spurred on by a lack of care, empathy, and understanding in their unique struggles.

There is so much I'd love to say about Kore and Persephone's characterizations and what led them to this point, but I got about a paragraph in before realizing that it would be WAY too massive of a spoiler LOL I'm really, really excited to get into it - though nervous too - but I hope that, at the very least, readers can have patience for her as she goes through everything that's on the horizon. There are times it may get ugly, even outright bleak, but that is simply one side of the coin that represents her duality as a goddess - the dreaded Bringer of Destruction, and the merciful Goddess of Spring.

[night-market-if]

Hi there !

I just came here to say that I read the entirety of the Night Market yesterday. Before my final exam. Instead of studying. A wonderful decision, really.

More seriously, I need to say this : this. This is a work of art. This shook me to my core. The way you describe everything is wonderful. And the story. The characters. Oh my god the world you created is so full and complex and you can see so much of your love for it through the writing, and it's not a perfect world, nowhere near it, but the characters in this world care and it's enough. The main cast, no, everyone really, is so human. So likable (except some obvious villains, whom are still incredibly interesting in their motivations, and also their madness the Lord of Dolls is an incredible example of this), so full of mistakes, with backstories so complex and unique, and I want to hug them because they need it but also slap some of them because they're so dumb *cough* Milo *cough*, which, I think, shows a lot about how well written a character is.

Now, onto the spoilers and the last chapters. I'm screaming. So so so not okay right now. I swear I ended the last chapter, read the last word, and went "how the fuck am I supposed to go to my exam tomorrow and be normal about this ???". Like. The way each plot twist was for me unexpected but shed light on so much stuff. Like, wow. Every bit that I was like "oh wait that's genius". One thing, even. In one chapter, when MC says to Milo "I hate them. The one who brought me there." and Milo had a strange reaction I said "oh imagine if he's the one who brought us there haha that would be fun". Let me tell you I wasn't laughing later on in chapter 11 after discovering that this funny thought, fastly forgotten because hey, I was never great at theories, this funny thought WAS THE GOOD ONE.

You are so so so so so so talented and I love your universe and everything and I'm destroyed in the best way possible and you gave me so much motivation about working on my own book and I will buy it I will buy the full game I will buy every one of your games just take my money. This is incredible. You are incredible.

Thank you so much for Night Market. I will read it again (because I don't have anymore exam ha). And sorry for the long rant, but I really needed to share how much I loved your if, and your writing ! Also sorry if any of this sounds strange, english isn't my first language !

With that, I hope you have a nice day/evening/night ! Take care of yourself !

I hope your exams went amazing!!! I do not miss those years. LOL

First off, thank you thank you thank you! The gushing was what I needed to sign on to. I always get so excited when readers get what I've been trying to convey. These flawed characters, all of which have lives and a past, are so very important to me. I know the typical way to do things is to write a story revolving around the MC but I would much rather write a story where MC goes and just experiences the world and the people in it.

As for being fooled by Milo, someone on discord put it great. You are blind to the ones you love. The truth of Milo has been laid out for some time. From chapter one, really. But, it was hard to see because of the kind of person he is. I am so excited to explore that in book 2.

Thank you for spending the time to write all this out. It has filled me with all the warm love. :)

And as for the Dollmaker? He will be a "villain" we will be seeing more of.

[pynkhues]

Do you have post-Emmy predictions or thoughts for Snook's career?

Oooo, I'm actually not too sure? She's such an incredible actress, and I'd really love her to hit the A-list, but her choices even since Succession started and her star rose have been kind of odd ones? Like Pieces of a Woman was such a bit part for her, albeit one in an interesting art house movie, Run Rabbit Run saw her as the lead in a pretty terrible psychological thriller, and The Beanie Bubble? Just - - yeah.

Really odd choices.

I do suspect her career has likely been impacted a bit by the fact that she moved back to Australia, married another actor who has a steady, ongoing gig (Dave Lawson's a part of the core ensemble in Utopia which is a very good and very funny sitcom here!) and has had a baby, to say nothing of the pandemic, and I think she's perhaps still feeling out herself what she'd like her career to look like.

That said, I thought it was really smart that both Sarah and Jeremy have gone back to theatre for their first major roles post-Succession, and Sarah's move I think is particularly smart strategically given it's a Sydney Theatre Company production being performed on London's West End, which kind of relaunches her in theatre in two different spaces.

Sydney Theatre Company is a huge deal in Australia and a world class company - Cate Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton were co-artistic directors there for a number of years, and it's a home for many of Australia's best actors like Rose Byrne, Toni Collette, Hugo Weaving, Heather Mitchell (my beloved!!). Sarah already had a relationship with STC prior to Succession - having played Joan of Arc in the STC production of Saint Joan in 2018 - so for one of her first major roles after the series to be back at the Company does really feel like both a homecoming and an opportunity to ascend within the theatrical elite in Australia. The production though that she's in being in the UK's West End I feel offers that two-fold as well.

Getting back into STC though I think opens her doors again to local connections, particularly with the Cate Blanchett set and given Blanchett's been moving steadily into producing in Australia, I could see Sarah being cast in one of her productions? Hopefully a film, given The New Boy and Shayda were infinitely better than Stateless, haha.

In my experience with actors in Australia, the ones with young children tend to lean towards theatre residencies and TV because it's (generally speaking) better / more flexible hours and steadier work, and in many ways, Australian TV is having a bit of a renaissance right now with shows like The Newsreader, Deadloch and Boy Swallows Universe, so I could absolutely see her headlining a mini-series? Perhaps a literary adaptation?

I'd love to see her in something from Jane Campion, Jennifer Kent or Goran Stolevski, and I think all three are a possibility - Goran probably least at this stage just because he's such a new voice.

I think she'll probably pop back up in some US films and TV, and I think she'll probably land a few really meaty ones, but I do kind of think she might be more likely to work between Australia and the UK in the future? I couldn't quite tell you why, and I could be wrong, but yeah. I guess my prediction is that she'll have an incredible career, but I don't necessarily think it'll be US-centric post-Succession, or tremendously high profile.

[deoidesign]

Hi! I just wanna say thanks. I love your comic. And that I was wondering how the idea for the comic came about. sorry if you answered it before and my english is not very good 😅

Thank so much 💙

haha, this one is gonna take a little to explain so you'll have to forgive me...

So, first I saw a lot of people posting old photos saying "this person looks exactly like this actor, he's immortal!!!" and I remember thinking "what if they're not immortal and they're just time traveling?" and that was the foundation of eventually coming up with time traveling vampires conceptually, which is the major basis for the whole plot.

Then, I watched Jaws for the first time. I loved the dynamic between the shark hunter and the marine biologist SO MUCH that I wanted to steal it. I'd never written that kind of dynamic before, and I thought it was incredibly interesting conceptually; the man who knows everything by the book but has very little practical experience versus the man who knows nothing in the books but has been living this life long enough that he knows what he's talking about, and all the interesting ways these types would clash (and learn to respect eachother)

So I just went ahead and combined those two things and conceptualized Adam and Steve. I did my first sketch of them in church, and I showed my sister and said "what should I name them?" and she said "Adam and Steve lol" and then it just stuck!

I used the characters for a school assignment and further developed them there, where I had to draw characters and a book cover. After that I was like, wow, I really want to make this a comic now!

The coloring I did originally was actually inspired by this specific illustration, I obviously don't draw like this but it's gorgeous and was really inspirational for me at the time!

(by Yves Eyang)

But I didn't have any plot planned, just the characters and an idea for how I wanted the mechanics of the story to function, so I decided to make it a choose your own adventure story so that I didnt have to actually think up a plot. I wanted it to be somewhat meandery, and the core concept being Steve traveling somewhere new every month let me sort of "rein things in" in a way that would keep things from getting too out of hand too fast while still giving the readers control, and also giving readers many new places they could jump in if they wanted.

So then I just kinda went for it!

When I moved to making it full time I made a lot of decisions to make the whole thing a lot more cohesive, planned a lot more, and did my best to keep as much of the original spirit as I could.

I hope that all makes sense! I'm sure there's more but those are the major things (that I'm aware of)

[deadtwinksdetectiveagency]

🍄🧸🍬🦴🦷

Thank you dear!!!

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

Edwin and Charles don't actually play Cluedo very often. Charles, with his ADHD and dyslexia, has a bitch of a time keeping track of revealed clues without Edwin's prompting, and Edwin finds the game simple at best.

The bulk of their collection came from a longtime client (a magician) who shared a love for mysteries but lost manual dexterity as they aged—ergo, they gave their Cluedo collection to the Agency. At first, it was one edition at a time, then shortly before the client's death, he gave them the rest.

It's possible that as the Agency grows, Cluedo will come out more often. After all, the more players, the more interesting the game...

Yes, some of the editions are enchanted, what of it?

🧸 ⇢ what's the fastest way to become your mutual?

Interact with me (nicely, excitedly) via tags, comments, ask box

Have some kind of tagging system so I can blacklist tags I don't want to see

Write and post your work on AO3 and include a link to your Tumblr where I can find it so I can follow you everywhere

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

Oof, honestly I don't have many unpopular opinions re: DBD.... at least when compared to, say, Tolkien haha. Let's see, here are some thoughts that I've either seen contradicted or rarely/never mentioned:

I liked Crystal right away

The Cat King is 10000% a predator (literally and figuratively)—and he's also a delightful character

If literally any of the mains were normal at all, they would have found Monty insanely suspicious. (Like... why the fuck was he outside the T&T at the ass-crack of dawn?!?! You're supposed to be a teenager! SLEEP IN.) To be clear, I love Monty!!! But his behavior/habits are extremely unusual, and I think it's quite telling that none of the core four pick up on that. And again—I love Monty, and I think his demeanor is one of the most winning on the show.

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

I mean, right now, Dead Boy Detectives lol!

Generally, there's nothing specific beyond the canon I happen to be writing for. I'm more inspired by my own experiences/interests/tastes than other media. I will sometimes have ideas that are clearly inspired by moments in media (there's a future plot point in my fic A Familiar Story that is inspired by something from The Owl House, for example), but I don't tend to think of inspiration in that way.

🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on

Roasting = 500°F and NO LESS

Do cognitive tests as an adult on a semi-regular basis so you know if/how/when something changes.

Find offline hobbies. I recommend swing dancing!

Ask A Manager is a GODSEND—highly recommended for any kind of job/school-related advice!!! Cover letters, interviewing, gut-checks, managing... etc.

Send me interesting asks!

[seanicornspoice]

Surprised myself by writing an extremely meta character study abt Mytho, who is apparently my favorite of the main cast haha.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's abt names and roles and identities and what exists for Mytho beyond 'happily ever after' (disclaimer: it's also extremely Mytho/Original Tutu-centric, though she is only mentioned)

Check it out if that sounds like your thing hehe!

Long rambly thoughts & spoilers, both for the show + the fic, under the cut (warning, might not be fun for those who enjoyed the og show's ending):

I think with the themes the show was trying to tell, it's impossible to allow Mytho self-actualization beyond his role as a prince and how he contributes to a 'happy ending'.

As a narrative device (the McGuffin we're collecting, the corrupted innocent to be saved, the shining prince who defeats evil and asserts what is good), he is brilliant. He works well as a motivation for the entire main cast....while having very few desires himself

As a character, I think he doesn't get the same narrative of breaking free from his destiny/role as the other characters.

Perhaps that's intentional, as the only true fictional character, he's first presented as a blank slate that others project onto (even Ahiru arguably), and when he starts to gain his own agency, this is quickly overshadowed by the Raven's blood, which calls into question how much of it is really his own wishes vs the influence of the Raven.

Even when his heart is (mostly) returned, there is very little time spent for him to reflect on his identity and the person he is after his new experiences. Immediately, he is Mytho no longer, but the Prince and all further action taken reflects as such.

He defeats the Raven bc princes defeat monsters and live happily ever after. He chooses Rue bc princes choose princesses at the end of the story.

His act of choosing Rue, to me, speaks less of his own agency, and more of him fulfilling his role. As the archetype of the prince, his choosing Rue is her happy ending, confirming she is worthy of love and happiness as the embodiment of essentially everything good and kind in a story.

However, it makes me wonder if Mytho would have still made this choice had he considered his own wants and desires, simply beyond doing what is 'right' and 'good'.

Very rarely does Mytho get the chance to express desires free from external influence, or from the role of the prince who loves everyone and will always protect the weak and helpless.

It's interesting to me (and certainly my bias) that more often than not, so many of Mytho's choices of his own volition are tied back to Princess Tutu.

His request for Fakir to repeat the part abt Tutu disappearing. How he keeps trying to seek her out and get closer to her/know her better. How he is awakened from Kraehe’s forceful shard snatch bc of Tutu’s dance. Even Fakir comments that Mytho wanting to regain his heart is probably bc Tutu is the one returning it to him.

For me, Princess Tutu is at the centre of Mytho's story and agency, and his self-actualization is tied to her, be it as Mytho in present day or Siegfried of the past.

Tutu embodies hope, but it goes much deeper than that for Mytho.

She literally represents both a shard of his heart, as well as genuine desire on his part. We are told explicitly that very existence of Ahiru's transformation into Princess Tutu represents Mytho's own desire to have his heart returned to him.

His love for her, what she means to him, for me, I can only see Tutu as the very core of Mytho's own free will.

For him to love her represents freedom from his role and the story.

Princess Tutu, the original tragic minor character, was never meant to have a happy ending. The Prince will never, could never, choose her, that's simply not what his archetype would do.

Choosing Tutu is selfish and impure, it serves no one but Mytho himself.

However, in choosing her and choosing to love her is where he is most human. It is not a love earned through hard work or sacrifice, as the stories go; it is simply his own wish, his own desire, to meet someone so dear to him.

I think it's impossible for Siegfried, the Prince, to choose this path.

As his archetype, as his role, he will never act selfishly, he will protect the weak and helpless, he will reward the good and punish the wicked. It makes perfect sense that Rue is chosen as his princess; there is no one else who has suffered more, who deserves this ending more than she does.

You could make an argument that Ahiru perhaps also deserved this role (though the strength in Ahiru's arc comes from bringing hope as herself, as a duck, without needing to be a princess at all), but again just like Rue, she will be chosen as a princess to a prince, not as Ahiru to Mytho.

Mytho is rarely seen as himself by anyone, and even rarer still is he understood by anyone.

Even Ahiru, the most vocal champion of Mytho's agency and happiness, does not necessarily understand him, whether it is as herself or as Princess Tutu. Likewise for Fakir, who is intimately familiar with the heartless Mytho, but does not understand or know Siegfried.

To want to be known and understood are not things Princes wish for. Princes fight for the greater good, for their princess, and are beloved by all. Why would a Prince need such a mundane, ordinary thing like that?

But that's exactly why it is so crucial for Mytho.

To be known and understood as he is, for someone to meet him on his level, is to make him whole and human.

No longer an archetype who will always do the right thing; instead, to become someone good and kind who is also selfish, whose wants may not always align with the greater good, who will try his best to bring some light to the world anyway.

And again, it comes back to Princess Tutu.

This selfish love is what makes him human, this unreasonable longing and wanting and loving brings him down from selfless perfect Prince into a mere human who simply loves, cares for another, consequences be damned.

When I wrote this fic, I realized that the part of him that is Siegfried would Never abandon Rue or the story. He embodies his archetype too strongly to even consider that for a heartbeat.

As I thought some more, I realized his names bound him too tightly to external forces (as Siegfried, the Prince; as Mytho, the blank slate) and with a soft spot for names and identity, I realized for Mytho to reclaim himself and be free from his role, he had to be allowed to choose a completely different name and path.

Long story short, that's how Swan came to be.

It's a little embarrassing bc this is not at all how I usually write fanfic. I honestly never imagined myself to be this sort of writer. I rarely challenge or want to change characters on such a fundamental level, outside of fun shipping things.

However, for me, it felt like the best way to write him, and the most interesting narrative to explore.

What does it mean for Mytho, only meant to exist as a pure archetype, to choose to live as a human?

I think I'll be writing more about Swan, along with his journey to find Tutu/self-actualization. He's such a wonderful character, and I realize while my viewpoint may be biased/flawed, I hope I can do him justice.

If you read this far, WOW, congratulations, gold star for you. Hope you have a lovely day!

[ahundredtimesover]

I was going through this video and don’t know why I felt like sharing it with you. I am not someone who feels super comfortable by reading hard core smut. But when I read smut from your series it gave me butterflies. It was like I want those characters to have those time together because it felt meaningful. You never made it felt vulgar to me. And again don’t want to judge people who like other stuff I get everyone r different and r into something different. But after watching the below mentioned video I learned more about sex. I am super scared for the force and banging and here I learned that it need not be that. I am sharing it with, pls whenever u get time go through it. May it help you to write future smut or in your personal life. Also I want to make sure that I don’t want to make u feel uncomfortable. If u don’t want pls don’t reply to this message. It can be between we 2. Hope u r have a good weekend

https://youtu.be/6Z1JKF0elYc?si=glTmEiQcPR9c2VL8

Hi, anon. I hope you get to read this. Before anything, I just wanna say that this message was very sweet and a joy to read. I always say that you guys are free to come in and talk/ask about things, and so for you to say that you felt like sharing this video that seems to have helped you is pretty special.

Now, this is my kind of sex talk. It was so informative and insightful. It’s so interesting to learn the context of the Kamasutra as a piece of literature and get an overview of the sections - like, different beds for different acts? The purpose of jewelry? That it’s not even about the act of sex but all about pleasure? I especially loved the part when she explains that positions and movements are about making sure that the bodies of both individuals are in sync so they could experience that pleasure.

All that to say that her point reflects what I feel towards sex and my approach to writing it in my stories. Same with you - I understand that people are different in terms of beliefs and kinks and ways of being pleasured. But ultimately, we get to decide what sex means to us. For me personally, it’s a journey. I learn a lot even just by writing, and through the process, I become more comfortable about it as well.

One of the best compliments I’ve been given is from you, that the smut I’ve written gives you butterflies. Like, YES 😭😭 I feel accomplished haha. Srsly when I first started, I researched how to write smut (lol) and I remember reading that it’s about the build up and the emotion. So when I think of these characters engage in such acts, I imagine it with so much meaning. And my favorite parts to imagine and write are the soft touches and giggles and cuddles and moments of awe and comfort where words aren’t enough to capture what they’re feeling that’s beyond lust. Rough is cool but gentle makes me giddy. Like what Seema said in the video, sex is supposed to be fabulous! There are many ways that could happen but for me - and as reflected in my stories - it’s the emotion, so I spend a lot of time building those up so that the sex feels like a culmination of those emotions and feelings.

Sex is pretty amazing. Sure, it gets overblown sometimes when we write about it but I’m glad the scenes I at least write don’t feel vulgar to you, that you get to see the meaning in them. It’s not the only way but it’s my way, so for you to share this with me rly makes me think that my message comes across. So thank you for dropping by. I’m glad the video got to help you, and I hope that my stories give you that warmth as well, smut included hehe

Sending you love, anon, and I wish you’re well 🫶🏼🫶🏼

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

At first I thought Vita would be Elias because she also has some similarities with Elias.

Like Elias, he is fascinated by people and their emotions which he cannot experience himself so he uses his own method of adopting a gentleman's manners to study people.

Vita I can also see a similarity there, when she was attracted to Seele's group, she also approached them according to her method and researched them (sorry if I'm giving an example sucks but that's the best way I can present it 🥲)

Besides, Elias once said he did not lie but kept his intentions secret by leaving out some information. This point is also quite similar to Vita, there are many times when you clearly think Vita is lying but no she is not, she just leaves out some details and information that makes us confused.

In addition, both of them dislike children. Yup

But if I had to choose without discussing personality or commonalities but just choosing according to my preferences, I would prefer Seele as Elias.

I simply want to see Seele in human form (of course in a black/white/ robe paired with a black or blue vest) but always wearing the skull mask of a deer or a wolf with a goat horn on her head and Vita who always tries to see Seele's real face but can't see her face no matter what. It will be very interesting :>

About what could’ve happen to destroy their mental health? Hm I need time to think 👀

Ohhhh very interesting

I think Seele as Elias can def work well under the angle that she has more connections to nature/magical things than Vita does (Vita has a modern vibe what's with her business outfit...) plus the kinda symbolism she's associated with

Also Vita's mental health is already kind of precarious so if you just change their motivations/goals to be more their own characterizations than mahoyome's, it works as her ending up in a relationship where she learns to let go of her frustrations... Perhaps it's that she's selfish more as a defensive mechanism than a sincere core personality trait, and Seele could let her learn to relax and do good as a mage. After all, that is kind of what mages do, help others.

Also Vita Literally has an abusive mother situation where mom threatened her life before. I mean, Chise's mom was kinder than Sa, but still, there's a connection you can make.

There's the question of what way Vita would be Seele's teacher though. In canon, by the time they meet Seele doesn't really need help beyond "stop giving to others so much to the point of overworking" (really she IS kinda similar to Chise haha). Seele doesn't exactly struggle with alienation, so you'd have to find something else or change her character a bit...

[euclydya]

crashes in here. dusts myself off. anyway.

🍄 Do you headcanon any characters as plural? Who and why?

im pretty sure ik the answer. i want details anyway. [grabby hands]

🌾 Do you have an inner world? What's it like?

im always so interested what other peoples plural experience. our headspace is basically its own universe. whats your guyses if you have one???

🍄 u fucking already know what's up our main hc is that Harry is plural and it's practically canon actually Let's be real. WITH THAT BEING SAID LET ME GET INTO. SOEM DETAILS . [aka i am infodumping. i am infoodumpingna Lots.]

b4 i start off the lines blur on whether shit is hc or shit i/the others remember from Our Canon LMFAO so anyways:

Mixed origins. *Points at Shivers* that bitch just showed up one day! Also Limbic + ARC were born with him. So if we wanna add labels then those would be primarily traumagenic w a couple protogenic sysmates & at Least one walk-in. oh also his tie is a headmate too ofc. Hallucination at first but also his ass got introjected later.

We r actually working on a timeline of who formed when and everything is v much up in the air fr a lot of us but Anyways aside from ARC & Limbic, Composure & Half Light formed first. That much we r Certain abt. this also counts as a hradcanon btw bc we r the kind of bitch that shoehorns our canon into shit . "this is my headcanon on things haha" is how we get our shit across 2 non-systems HWJAJSJDFJFJDJSJ

tho besides those 2 a quick rundown of everyone else we know of so farrrr uhhh. From oldest to most recent: Inland & Empathy in his childhood, Encyclo, Volition, & Rhetoric in his teens, Pain Threshold coulda formed anywhere in between childhood and teens tbh we are Not Sure. And then we're Certain Physical Instrument formed when he got a job as a gym teacher. Or while he was in highschool??? one of those. Idk. Same w Endurance. And then when he was in his like 20s-30s I formed and everything went downnnnhilllll HWHSJDJDJFFJ. Once he joined the RCM Esprit formed & then ????????? and after The Incident, Shivers showed up. Anyone not listed here we have zero clue on when exactly they formed 👍

HOWEVER ASIDE FROM HARRY WE ALSO HC EVERYONE IN DE AS PLURAL IN SOME WAU IM SURE I BROUGHT THIS UP WHEN WE ANSWERED THIS SAME QUESTION LAST IDR. but yeah anyways. Everyone's Skillsets would manifest differently [Kim's fr example manifest as him writing in his journal] & everyone has different Skills. except fr maybe a couple? Like multiple people would have Empathy Skills probs but some like Shivers would be specific to Harry.,,, Kinda. I mean. Ok so how we see Shivers specifically using plural community language is that She's a walk-in and a factive (?) of the entire city. But also supra-natural shit is involved there too It's A Lot. ANYWAYS WHAT IM SAYING IS MULTIPLE PEOPLE CAN DEFINITELY FEEL THE CITY SPEAK TO THEM IT'S JUST SHIVERS AS WE KNOW HER IN-GAME IS SPECIFIC TO HARRY, FJJSJSDJDJFJ BUT YEAH NO EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT SKILLSETS & THEY MANIFEST DIFFERENTLY FOR EVERYONE TOO one day when we have more spoons 4 thinking. we will come bacj 2 this. HFJDJDJFJF

🌾 WE DO!! It changes often though! rn since it's like,,, JUST us Skills in the fronting roster [MOMENTARILY!!! ROsie and Allan aren't dormant they're just majorly afk!! fhsjdjfjf] the main headspace view is HARRY'S headspace and *THAT* is just. longgggg winding black voidy rooms that have little to no start and end. We're forming shit though! And stuff is sticking!

We have a main area that's just a dining table & one of the rooms we've found is like. a buncha sleeping bags & a campfire? We call that room Composure's room cuz it's where it usually is.

Uhhh mine, Encyclo's, and Volition's room is similar to the master bedroom in the house our core grew up in. Which sidenote is fucky as hell cuz that's ALSO the room where our nightmares take place in! Thanks brain what the fuck! HFHDJDJDJFFJ

And then Reaction Speed kinda has xir own room too it manifests as the inside of a tent? It's tiny. but cozy? Idont think anyone else has their own rooms in Harry's headspace [and neither does Harry btw. His ass can barely manifest here unless someone yoinks him in here or it happens by accident jadjfjfj]

OUTSIDE OF THAT THOUGH WE HAVE A TONNNNN OF LAYERS & ALL FHJSJF the main layer is currently an open field w some trees & flowers on a hill. A lil ways in front of the tree is The Cave™ that holds The Fog™ [partial mix of The Pale?? but also The Fog is our own brain-made TMA-adjacent Entity. It's the embodiment of our brainfog & all. We have 2 Fog avatars one is Trant and the other FUCKING DIED I THINK BC THE FOG GOT HIS ASS???!! ithink he's still in the cave actually? Idk he existed for less than a week before disappearing!!!! Rip Mr Whitely you wil be missed maybe. Idk. cuz ur ass was a serial killer or smth in ur source so like, [lh]]

UHHHH A BIT FARTHER from the Cave is a lil cabin that belongs to Harry & Kim. And a small walk down the hill the cabin is on is The Manor™ and the Septic Household™. Both groups that those houses belong to are currently dormant rn but The Manor is still Very Much Alive Apparently so we uh. Try to. Upkeep her. So she doesn't try. to kill us <3. [I Jest i don't think she can do anything. Idk. But Dark said to not leave her alone Lest Shit Happens and i DON'T know if they were fucking with us. dhajsjfjfjfjf]

Anddddddd. Above our main layer we have,,,, uhhh. The Outskirts? Which is the layer one of our overseers, Mischief, lives in. It's like.,,, a buncha pink & purple clouds u can walk on it's pretty. above that is The Outer Nothing which is where Infīnītus & our other Hierarchy members live. The Outer Nothing is uhhh. Nothingness? Space? Void? something like that?? Idk nobody can visit it unless they're apsrt of the Hierarchy and those fucks don't front unless it's ab emergency and nooobodyyyyyy in the roster rn is anywhere NEARRRR being eligible to Join The Hierarchy I think???? so. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯! JFJSJXKCKCKDJD

we have other layers I think but they're inaccessible rn. We can access The Outskirts if need be via The Cave and from The Outskirts we can TECHNICALLY GET TO THE OUTER NOTHING but the entrance to it is blocked off a la invisible wall </3

-Electrochemistry

[creoterative]

I don't cry fast, but that made me emotional. Just got home from work, first thing I read was this and it made me so happy.

Ehem, well, now that I'm functioning again, I can actually get to my PC and form proper sentences.

First of all, thank you very much for these kind words, I didn't expect that at all. Not that you are an unkind person, I just didn't expect such a huge reply and with THIS much kindness in it xD

Then I consider myself lucky and am proud of having found that scene again, and I'm glad it managed to fit your image in your head, that is more than enough reward for me. To be honest, the picture on the side was just something I came up with because the wall felt so lifeless, while the left wall had the vent. And then I thought it would be interesting to have that connection to her again, so... that picture got to be there (it was a good learning experience too, I've never drawn glass before xD).

I was hoping to give you a little motivation for this story, haha XDD But I know too well how long it can sometimes take to come up with something you really feel good about, or, well, real life kicks in *looking at my Lambda Core Paul Story, cough*. Just know, there'd be a lot of people who'd be very happy to see another chapter of this story and I'm so glad you said it's not over until you say it's over. No stress of course, again, we all know what it's like and fanfiction is for fun, nothing else ;)

'Course, I even remember when I wrote the first Chapter for The Lambda Core, I seriously looked up your first chapter, counted the words and made sure I'd get at least two thirds of that, because I thought that way I'd get enough information into one chapter xD And with Let's play a Game then, that TWDG story I'm currently trying to finish, it even doubled, because, well... yours doubled at around chapter three or four I think xDDD Not that I wanted to copy anything from you, I still want to find my own writing style, but it was inspiring in the way that I could tell myself "This story is good, you want yours to be good, so just push a little further, just a few more words, try to reach that level".

And of course you can use the picture, it's for you and your story after all ;)

Thank you very much for this, I cannot put into words how much this made my day.

Let's hope we get to see more of Paul in the future, and if not, we'll just continue to make stuff for this purple haired freak xD

"Thank you. I wouldn't have expected your unconditional company at this hour." "I... just needed to think. That's what you're doing anyway." "Like it or not, you are your father's son for certain. I would have claimed such an obvious lie at your age."

So here's my newest drawing, fanart of a Pokémon fanfiction called 'Travels of the Trifecta!' by @shinneth which can be found on AO3 and Fanfiction.net (hope I got everything xD)

As a Teenager, I loved this story and couldn't wait for another chapter. I also tried to measure the amount of words I'd write for my own stories with the help of this fanfiction, so it was helpful all the way xD

One of my favorite scenes is the one where Paul wakes up in the Battle Pyramid and goes to watch the sunrise with his father Brandon. Sadly, he's not officially his father, but I always loved this theory in the anime. It's not even that far off, just look at their eyes and face, even Reggie is similar to Brandon. 

To the right is a picture of Paul's mother, who sadly passed away in the story, but I felt like it would be a little bit more heartwarming, seeing that she's still by his side, another theme the story plays with.

Anyways, hope ya like it and see you soon! Have a nice day!

[chibinekochan]

i heard you were taking luke request so i came at the speed mammon running from luci! 🏃🏽‍♀️💨

so here’s my proposition! you know how luke kinda dislikes being treated as a child even though he’s thousands of years old. so what if after one day of everyone babying him he completely gets fed up and starts his rebellion phase. dad!simeon doesn’t know what to do. so it’s MC to the rescue!

Haha, somehow I can see that happening. Such a teen thing to do.

One day Simeon calls you in distress.

He seems pretty upset. "I have a huge issue. Please come over right away."

You have never heard him like this before. "Did something happen? Should I bring support?" You wonder what kind of emergency happened to make Simeon sound so out of it.

"It's easier to explain in person, just please come." Simeon is in honest distress.

"I'm coming right away." You don't know what is up, but Simeon needs support so you brace yourself for whatever might happened.

You practically run over to his room.

It looks like a bomb exploded, a lot of stuff is scattered everywhere on the ground. It's a big mess.

"What happened? Was there a burglary?" You are very surprised by the sight.

Simeon looks like he is close to tears. "No, it's even worse." He seems to be barely able to speak.

"Okay, you sit down and I make a cup of tea and you can tell me what happened." You feel like it's best to have Simeon calm down first.

"That sounds lovely but we have no time for that. You see Luke did this and just stormed out. It's honestly my fault." Simeon sighs. "I think I have been too hard on him lately or maybe I baby him too much… I don't know but lately Luke has been very difficult to handle. I just don't know what to do anymore." Simeon is very distraught by what Luke did.

"He just threw everything around? That doesn't sound like him." You can't even imagine Luke being this upset.

Simeon sighs deeply again. "I know he is usually such a sweet boy but I guess he grew up faster than I realized and now he entered into a new phase and I'm frankly lost." He looks at you with pleading eyes.

"So you want me to go to him and talk to him?" You can only imagine this is why he called you over.

"Yes, please. I'm so lost I just want everything to be normal again and you have lots of experience with difficult people so you are the only person I can count on." He looks at you with puppy eyes.

"I will talk to him and see what is up, but I won't make any promises." You can understandSimeon’ss struggle and want to at least try to make everything better.

"Thank you very much. I will start cleaning this mess." Simeon smiles lightly at you.

"Luke should clean this mess. Not you. That will only teach him the wrong lesson." You think Luke should fix his own mistakes.

Simeon nods. "You are right. I just want to make it better between us."

"You should have a long conversation with him after cleaning up and having dinner." You know having difficult conversations is best after all basic needs are met.

"I will take that suggestion, thank you." Simeon still looks a bit lost, but at least he has a plan.

You go and look for Luke, who is in the living room.

He is still on the edge, it seems. Even his clothing style has changed.

Luke clearly tries to look more adult.

"Hey, Luke. A nice shirt you have there." You try to start with a neutral topic.

He slightly glares at you. "Thanks."

"Where did you buy it? I'd love to get something similar." You sit down across from him.

"I got it from akuzon, but it sold out." Luke seems to open up a little bit.

"Aww, that's a bummer. It looks great though." You sigh and take a glass and fill it with some water.

"Simeon didn't like it at all." Luke pouts.

"Really? I think it suits you well." You seem to get closer to the issue at the core.

"He just doesn't get me at all." Luke sighs.

"That's normal. He is not used to you growing up. Many things change now for you. I have been there myself. I was a big goth in my teen years." You giggle slightly.

"Really? That's unexpected. I thought you were always like you are now." Luke seems surprised.

"I bet Simeon changed a lot too. Maybe Lucifer can share some stories about his youth with you sometime. I bet Simeon did a ton of embarrassing things." You giggle at the thought.

"He is just seeing me as a small kid. I never get to do what I want." Luke grimaces.

"Simeon is like a parent to you so I get it. Parents only want your best but they don't always do the best. Simeon isn't perfect either, he makes mistakes, but he is also a good guy. You can talk to him." You try to encourage Luke.

Luke casts his eyes down. "Have you ever done anything bad that made them angry at you?"

You laugh. "Of course. You wouldn't believe the arguments we had. I was stubborn and they just didn't get me."

Luke looks at you wide-eyed. "You too?"

"I'd say that's pretty normal." You shrug.

"What about now? Are you guys okay?" Luke looks at you worried.

"Of course, better than ever. We all grew together and now we have a good relationship. There were many talks and they still don't get all of my interests but that's alright. I don't get all of their interest either. But we all have stuff we enjoy doing together." You smile at Luke.

"So umm what did you do when you messed up?" Luke shifts around.

"When I felt bad I apologized and if I could I tried to fix it." You think back on the many times that happened.

"Did they hate you for it?" Luke looks at you with curious eyes.

"No, they were mad, and sometimes I got punished, but we always talked about it after we all cooled down. Sometimes I learned my lesson and sometimes I didn't, at least not the first time. But still in the end we forgave each other." You chuckle thinking of how hard-headed you could be.

Luke still doesn't seem to be able to see your teenage self." You really did some growing up, didn't you? "

"Yeah, it's hard to believe I know. Seeing how awesome I'm now." You giggle.

Luke rolls his eyes. "Come on. You aren't that awesome."

"Aww but I deal with demons on a daily basis." You play along with the light banter.

"That's true. I think I gotta go now." Luke seems to be ready to go and clean up.

"Alright then, just know I'm ready to talk whenever. If you get to your emo phase, come right to me. I still got some clothes and music." You give him a slight smile.

"I don't think that will be necessary." Luke seems slightly annoyed by my comment.

You shrug. "Your loss. I have to go and listen to some of that stuff now." You giggle a bit.

Luke sighs. "I got some cleaning to do. See you later."

You return to your room and in the evening you get a text from Simeon thanking you.

Apparently, they both apologized. Luke cleaned everything and made dinner. They both talked about everything for a long time.

It seems like things are better again.

My Obey me! Masterlist

[onelinemanytimes]

To all people who enjoy content:

There is a HUGE issue that needs to be addressed in how people react to things online and how they decide to deal with perceived issues. Specifically, in regards to content creators online, and the content they create.

I want to clarify, this post is talking for the most part about creators who did something multiple years ago that they currently don’t agree with. I’m not talking about people who are CURRENTLY horrible people, but if you want to know please do ask.

Basic synopsis: Purity culture is being used to shame people for their interests and to actively control and manipulate what people are “allowed” to like, which is often harmful and toxic; it is also being used to condemn people for the entire rest of their lives over doing something in their past, with no regards to if an apology was offered- which is harmful to people trying to unlearn toxic mindsets and be better people in the present day.

So, let’s talk about Purity Culture. I don’t know what else to call it, so if someone has a better name for it go ahead and say it- but, essentially, “The idea that every piece of media you consume must itself be good, AND has to have been made by a “good person”,” with no exceptions. This belief means that if a creator is seen as a bad person, or the media itself has a troubling aspect, you are NOT allowed to like it, DO NOT INTERACT, YOU’RE PROBLEMATIC AS HELL TOO IF YOU LIKE IT!!!!

That may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s only mildly so. There is, however, a much more harmful part to this mentality: Judging people for things they did years ago, and not allowing them to apologize and be forgiven, and USING this purity culture ideal against THEM as well. The idea that people can’t be forgiven, can’t change, and have to have been perfect always to be valid is extremely, extremely toxic and harmful, full stop. There are so many underlying issues that can both lead to someone being “problematic,” but that is so much less the issue than the fact doing this discourages real change.

People DO change over time. And if you find out someone did something in their past, you ARE allowed to not forgive them! However; That does NOT mean you should condemn them and everything they do as problematic horrible and unforgivable, and ATTACK other people and make WARNING posts in the tone of them STILL being “””Problematic”””! That is in some cases, BLATANT MISINFORMATION, and in most cases, encouraging the mentality that people don’t change.

Now, who is this a problem for? Because someone saying horrible things about minorities of any kind is legitimately harmful in its own right, and can hurt people who find it, which deserves to be addressed. (Again, YOU are not required to forgive them, and you have the freedom to not engage.) Purity Culture hurts People with RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria), and people who cannot control what they hyperfixate on. It can ALSO harm people who are struggling to get past toxic mentalities for any reason, and people who are trying to improve themselves and be better., and people who HAVE improved themselves and gotten better after being a person with (arguably) horrible views.

For people who experience RSD, seeing people denounce a piece of media for “””Something problematic””” (creator or otherwise), and in some cases seeing people ATTACK those who enjoy that media, can be physically painful and extremely, extremely stressful. Especially with the prevalence of this mentality right now, it makes engaging with anything a VERY stressful experience, because if what you enjoy isn’t perfect in every way you will be shamed for it, and rejected for it, and actively hated for it, and there is NO compromise on that point.

This is twice as volatile an issue when you ALSO cannot wholly control what your brain hyperfixates on. Hyperfixation (the word) has two main uses; in regards to a single task/activity (in which you’re unable to pull yourself out of said task and cannot switch focus to anything else), and in regards to media consumption (having an intense, very focused interest in media or a character, that can feel very consuming and intense in some cases. This extends even MORE so to special interests).

 Hyperfixations in those who are neurodivergent (don’t think the same as the wider population- such as people with ADHD and Autism, amongst other things) are NOT typically something they can control. Not without exceptional effort and potential detriment- one of the fairly unfortunate coping mechanisms I have for this (speaking, yes, as someone with ADHD) is to Completely ignore new media, wholesale, to avoid gaining a hyperfixation in relation to that media. Even still, I obviously still SEE things because I exist in the world and things are everywhere- and while I can enjoy content normally, it is MUCH different when I see something and feel unable to focus on ANYTHING else for WEEKS on end.

You can hyperfixate on something before learning about “X problematic thing,” and then when you’ve already gotten very attached and deep into the media people will start attacking you with it! And saying “Oh, you like THAT??? That was made by a super problematic person, you can’t like that!!!” It’s EXTREMELY difficult to explain how harmful that is when I A: Can’t control it, B: Didn’t know, and C: Suffer from RSD in the first place. It DOES NOT stop you from engaging with the content, because you are hyperfixated on it and you literally can’t avoid it, but it DOES overwhelm you with guilt and make you withdraw from the people around you because now YOU must be problematic and horrible and you’re a horrible person for liking this media and everyone must HATE you.

The above was not an exaggeration. That is legitimately how it feels.

People are talking about how “Cringe Culture is dead,” but it being replaced by a MUCH more insidious “Purity Culture” that is MUCH MORE toxic, MUCH MORE manipulative, and also inherently flawed to begin with!!! You CAN’T and SHOULDN’T be a perfect person, that is why you CHANGE AND GROW. You should ALSO be judging a piece of media on its OWN merits, NOT on the merits of what’s behind it (not wholesale like people are intent on doing).

Now, all things in moderation. If a piece of media was created with malicious or biased opinions in its core: It IS important to address that, and to acknowledge that this aspect is not something you should support, and something to be mindful of when thinking about the content. It’s also good to be aware of how people currently are when participating in media spaces- you don’t have to be perfect at this, but if you don’t want to engage with things made by people who have horrible current views that is absolutely your choice.

However, this doesn’t excuse constantly shaming and attacking people, ESPECIALLY people who are aware of a media’s flaws and able to both recognize that and amend that in a respectful, understanding way. You can enjoy a story about a murderer without also being a murderer and knowing that murder is wrong. This extends to other actions as well by the way (and the desensitization of people to murder in modern day media is also a wild topic for another day because wow some people really be out here like “yeah literally ending someone’s life in fiction is fine but x is absolutely abhorrent and unforgivable,” like what??). 

The real thing here is, this: If you don’t like content, or you cannot in good conscience enjoy that content knowing about something that happened relating to it: Don’t interact! If you are for some reason, stuck participating in and interacting with something you personally feel is horrible, don’t shame and hurt other people for more honestly enjoying it, especially the good parts. What you CAN do is inform people, respectfully!

And with ALL the details please. Because I see a lot of times, especially with creators: Someone will dig up something the creator said years ago and say, “THIS CREATOR IS (X) YOU CAN’T SUPPORT THEM OR ENJOY WHAT THEY MAKE BECAUSE IT’S PROBLEMATIC!!!” And, actually: They have since apologized for what they said, and actively made efforts to change. “But they did it in the past” Is NOT a valid argument, and honestly?? If you’re the same person you were even two years ago, that’s wild, and I hope you’ll understand that some people can change drastically in that time after being properly informed about issues.

Again: If you don’t want to interact with a piece of media, okie dokie! It’s up to us to respect that, and to tag our stuff and not shove it down your throat, y’know? But maybe, if you don’t like something, you shouldn’t decide to hurt the people who do like it, because I think that’s pretty harmful, and man imagine someone digging into your life 3 years ago and finding one sentence you said to judge your entire life on and force people to hate you with. Haha that’d suck, right?

If you read all this wow thanks, and also I’m well aware most my fellows with ADHD probably skimmed it because yeah it is a lot man whoops- I’ve just been thinking about it for a while because yeah. Yeah. “I do not control the hyperfixation” is not just a funny meme y’all it’s a thing and it’s legitimately exhausting and painful to see everything you enjoy be hated and be told you’re wrong for liking it in any way, shape, or form.

[a-mellowtea]

You know? Now that I think about it Ironwood's a terrified but good-hearted and empathetic man trying desperately to defend his kingdom and the world. RWBY are good-hearted and empathetic kids trying to defend kingdoms and the world. It's exactly as valid to like Ironwood and his efforts as it is to like team RWBY lol, he's trying to do the same thing under the same fear. xD I think it's more a question of 'if you like team RWBY why wouldn't you love Ironwood for the same reasons?'

Apologies for having to leave this sitting until morning, 'nonny. I am not built for staying up late after an 8-4 work day haha.

This is a curious question, and I think it lies in the difference in narrative framing around these characters. Because you are correct -- at their core, from Volumes 2-7, they have the same overarching motivations and ultimately altruistic intention (which is what makes Ironwood being the one to openly praise Ruby in Volume 2 work so well, but I digress).

As I mentioned in my response to silver-halos, I don't like to make generalizations, especially not in fandom spaces. Everyone has their reasons for liking certain characters and not liking others, even if they're similar and, by all means, it seems as though liking one ought to entail liking the other. People come to stories with their own experiences, biases, and inclinations towards interpretation. Narratively speaking, we as an audience are, in my opinion, given equal reason to be distrusting of Ironwood from his introduction as we are to grow to like him over the course of his tenure as a character in the show. How I see it, some folks decided his kindness and empathy were defining traits over his obvious military archetype, and some, vice versa. For the latter, his flaws and missteps became more pronounced and less forgivable regardless of intention which is, as much as I will gripe about some of the louder and more dramatic takes, an entirely fair and valid way of seeing the character.

It's an interesting question that depends entirely on who you ask.

[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

Hi! Just wanted to know what you think Charles' route will be alll about, and how would the Ikevamp lore continue from there? Do you think we'll get an Act 3 or more suitors? I absolutely love reading your interesting insights and hearty theories! They're food for my simping soul ♡(> ਊ <)♡ please forgive my fangirling..

Hihi!!! You’re much too sweet, thank you!!! 💛💛💛 you’re always free to simp and fangirl here, haha~

I'm happy to answer as best I can, though honestly I'm not 100% sure given the main story routes all range--both in terms of topic and larger narrative impact. My guess is that it will likely be about Charles' history as somebody who took part in the French revolution, namely his role as an executioner. In line with that, I would address two lines; one from Mozart, one from Dazai.

Mozart in relation to Charles says "I remember that name..." and Dazai says that "He is a young man with many secrets." I think they both speak to a larger consideration with Charles, which is that he is both a famous historical figure but also one that trails so much blood behind him? This is a man who killed people for a living (and in droves), despite being a medical doctor. There is going to be an inevitable mental dissonance that comes with that dichotomy. His life aspiration was to help and heal people, and instead he was called to murder them indiscriminately (and often for reasons that were openly unjust). Much of his energy and disposition feels like a kind of mask; it's intended to disguise what's truly lurking beneath the surface. When people are convinced they're unsightly or monstrous, they can very often overcompensate with buoyant behavior and positivity. Dazai’s main story really felt like it was hammering this concept home, considering Charles’ insistent cheer directed at MC (yet showing Dazai and Faust a great deal of darkness.)

Interesting too, now that I think about it, because there is a kind of foil mechanism that comes with making Charles the antagonist of Dazai’s route. I didn’t realize it until now, but they both hide their secrets--and the true nature of some of their uglier feelings--with a kind of forcible levity. The difference here lies in the state of their baseline energy, the form by which it is expressed. Dazai is one to joke around and make light of (often serious) things, but he does it to a point of absurdity and mild outrage. He has a kind of desire to be chased out the way I understand him (because being chased out means he can leave and avoid the pressure of being real). If he’s not seeking to be chased out, he wants the person to smile/laugh at his blunders. He’s a mood-maker just as his description entails, and as such his goal is always the regulate/influence the emotional tone of a group in a positive way.

Charles, by contrast, avoids transparency by bouncing around and pretending like nothing really gets to him. He’s forthright and bold, but his desire to have fun belies the reality of who he is and who his master is. The impatience, the burning envy that dwells within remains to be seen--and only makes an appearance in flashes. It begs the question as to what it is he’s trying to avoid moving at that speed, as his increasing velocity means a lowered scrutiny and self-awareness (one that limits him just as much as it enables him to keep going). Furthermore, he has some notion of regulating the mood of the group in that he’s often the one who lowers tension between Vlad and Faust with his upbeat attitude. However, I would argue that it isn’t nearly as powerful as Dazai’s fixation with it; when Charles is upset or wants something, he will not hesitate to put his personal needs first (or demand them, even). Dazai does not seem to have this same audacity generally.

There's also the question of what Charles is hiding, other than the obvious historical information we have. I get the feeling something is lurking behind his desperation to believe in the future Vlad wants to create. Maybe it's some desperate wish to atone for what he's done. Maybe he raised that guillotine under some kind of misguided belief that he was restoring the world to order. We believe outlandish things to survive sometimes, and I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case for Charles. I’d like to see just what it is that makes him tick.

That being said, that doesn't always free us from the truth of what we've done. Sooner or later we're forced to confront and come to terms with it. Dazai's main story (for a short time) forced him to face that gaping maw of trauma, and it was very clear he was not in the slightest bit prepared or able to cope. So there is the question of--if MC confronts him with that--what he will do in response.

I also wouldn't be surprised if he's among the bolder suitors, seeking her affection and body with more insistence than the boys of the mansion. It remains to be seen, but given the impression I've received from him and the rest of the trio...(a note of caution to people uncomfy with that).

I'm interested to see where Charles will go, in that I'm not really sure if he'll skew to the yandere side or the lowkey wants to help people side. He has every potential to become increasingly demanding of MC’s time and attention, trying to monopolize her as much as possible. Burying himself further in denial, never questioning his master. But he also has a kind of hearty maturity at his core that might result from his life experiences, where he acknowledges what he's done and just tries to do the best he can moving forward.

If the latter happens, there is the very real question of what happens with his relationship with Vlad--which is part of the reason I have my doubts about this possibility. In the infamous (and paraphrased) words of Mulaney(? I think it was) "if this is gonna happen Vlad is gonna need to become suddenly cool with a lot of things very fast" LMAO. I don't really see Vlad ceding his control over Charles' mind easily, and I don't see him satisfied with a future of Charles' autonomy. But then, who knows? I may very well be proven wrong

I'm also curious about Charles’ pronounced interest in Comte, this kind of hope for reconciliation. There's a very real chance that could be a focal point, in that Charles wants there to be mingling between the two houses. There are also a lot of problems with this sort of theory in that it would likely require A LOT of development/time to bridge that gap if it was ever bridged, and I don't think Comte would accept anything less than Vlad agreeing to cease and desist his assault on humanity. This potentiality might be more probable for an Act 3 story progression, now that I think about it.

As for Act 3, I'm really not sure who will or won't get one. The only storyline that has been left openly/grossly unfinished is Comte's to my knowledge, largely because of the agreement they made? In all the other routes, there isn't much of a whisper about her turning into a vampire. (Vlad turns her at the end of his route I’ve heard, and as for Faust I don’t know--but I haven’t seen any signs that he would demand it of her so far.) Comte hesitates--but he has every intention of doing it when they feel the time is right. So there's the question of when or how that will happen. In a bday story? In an event story? Act 3? Dunno

I also wonder about how pureblood society and vampire hunters might come into play, but given they exist on the periphery of the game I don’t know if it’s as safe a bet as Comte vs. Vlad continuing their ideological battle.

As for the suitors in general, there is always the potential of antagonist intervention in Act 3? Maybe they heckle their happy ending or throw the relationship into some kind of turmoil, though I'm not sure exactly how that will work since most of the routes end on a pretty resolved note? There's also the reality of all the rivals being murdered in cold blood after their duels. So like ???? Really depends on the direction Cybird wants to take. Expand on the relationship, create new issues/threats--or make Act 3 a more large scale story progression.

There’s also the possibility that the story is expanded by hinging on the timespace complications. If Vlad saw a desolate future, what does that mean for everyone? Will that come to pass--and if so, when? Will he be supported or stopped? What will that entail? Maybe Vlad sees that the desolate future was the product of his own megalomania. Maybe Vlad turns out to be right and drastic action needs to be taken before it gets that far. Whatever the case, I’m interested to see what narrative avenue Cybird will choose.

As for more suitors, I really have no idea given I haven’t seen so much as a whisper of what comes after Charles. I think my best bet would be potential pureblood suitors (maybe the product of Comte/Vlad story continuations), or more roulette famous figures in line with Vlad’s machinations to thwart the suitors. If Michelangelo comes back and throws hands with Leonardo, I will veritably lose my entire mind

[cosmicjoke]

Alright, just got through with chapter 57 and 58 of Attack on Titan, and as usual, I have something to say, haha.

I wanted to focus here on a few specific moments that stood out to me.  Other than Levi being a total bad-ass!  

I think what struck me most here was Levi’s reaction to his team getting killed, and the brilliant way Isyama framed that in relation to what the 104th were saying about him just moments before.

I think in a way this sequence highlights one of the most heartbreaking, tragic aspects of Levi’s character, which is that he’s terribly misunderstood by most people, and very few people understand or can relate to the kind of life he’s had.  The sense of alienation and the gap between Levi and the rest of his squad stands out starkly in these two chapters, and I want to go into why.

Near the end of chapter 57, we see the 104th discussing their situation, and talking about Levi.  Jean says that even if Levi orders him to kill, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to do it, to which Connie agrees for himself, and accuses Levi of thinking he can make people do whatever he wants by using violence.  Sasha then jumps in, claiming that’s what he was doing with Historia, likely, she thinks, so he can more easily control her when she becomes Queen, and implying that Levi’s humility with the Reeves company was some sort of act.  Mikasa then chimes in that she’s always thought there was something “off” about Levi, but that she thinks their best course is to continue to follow him for now.  There’s real anger, even disgust among all of them towards Levi.

What strikes me about their continued anger toward Levi is that, none of what Levi tried to explain to them after the confrontation with Historia got through to them at all.  They weren’t really listening, and weren’t really hearing him.  They just saw him roughing up a young girl, and that was it.  They didn’t try to understand where he was coming from, or why he might have been so upset in that moment.  Sasha makes the absurd and wholly inaccurate accusation that Levi must be power hungry and that he uses violence to gain power.  Of course, Levi is the character in SnK least interested in any kind of power, or control over other people.  He just wants to rid the world of the terror of Titans, and the oppression their presence forces onto humanity.  He couldn’t care less about power for himself.  He wants HUMANITY to have power.  So Sasha’s accusation here is particularly hurtful, I think.  Thank goodness she didn’t actually say something like that to Levi’s face, who’s sacrificed so much for so many. 

The next panels are particularly heartbreaking, then, coming on the heels of this conversation between the 104th, when we find Levi sitting on the rooftop with Nifa, and he starts talking about Kenny with her.  We know what happens then, with Kenny dropping in from behind them, and shooting poor Nifa in the face, killing her, and nearly killing Levi too.  The two other members of Levi’s team are killed shortly thereafter in similar fashion.  Levi’s reaction to this is just simply heart-wrenching.  The look on his face as he realizes what’s just happened is one of pure horror and anguish.  He looks seriously devastated.  Especially when he ducks away from Kenny’s second attack, and he gets a direct line of sight on Nifa, and sees how her face has been blown clean off.  He has to look away from her, his eyes clamping shut and his teeth gritted in obvious despair and pain, before he’s forced to flee and leave her body behind.  We see so much EMOTION on Levi’s face in these panels, the true depth of the pain he feels whenever any of his comrades are killed.  It affects him to his very core.

These panels of Levi, juxtaposed against the panels of the 104th talking about Levi like he’s some sort of heartless monster, like he’s unfeeling and uncaring and only wants power, are particularly affecting.  Because it exposes the unkind, even almost cruel things the 104th are saying about him as patently false.  They think Levi is cold and uncaring, but we see from his reactions to Nifa and the other two soldiers under his command being killed by Kenny and his crew that he actually cares more than any of them.  Every death hurts Levi more than anyone.

That lack of understanding from his own squad is really painful to see, and really heartbreaking, almost tragic, I think.  That they so entirely misunderstand him.  We see that too with Mikasa still holding so much of a grudge against Levi, barely at times able to contain her disdainful glares towards him, still holding him beating up Eren against him like he did it for nothing more than a good time.  She doesn’t consider or care about the real reason behind it, which was that it was necessary in order to save Eren’s life.  

That leads into my next point I want to discuss, about the disconnect between Levi and his squad, and their inability to understand him.

After being chased and shot at repeatedly by Kenny’s squad, being himself nearly killed more than once, Levi finally makes it back to Armin and the others.  We see panels of all of them watching Levi fighting back against Kenny’s crew, who are all shooting at and trying to kill him, and they all have looks of shock and horror on their faces when Levi kills one of the men by cleaving him nearly in half.  Levi then makes contact with them and informs them that their plans are shot and they have to simply escape.  Levi tries to explain to them the situation, and impress upon them the danger they’re all in, that there are more of Kenny’s squad up ahead waiting to ambush them, and that they might not even make it out of their situation alive.  He tells them that if they have the chance to kill their enemy, then they have to take it.  This leads into the big, dramatic moment with Armin and Jean in the wagon, with Jean hesitating to pull the trigger and nearly getting himself killed because of his hesitation, leading to Armin having to kill the MP for him.  

I think the shock with which the 104th look at Levi when he kills these MPs, and their initial critical judgment towards him for his violence, is really important to note, because it shows that none of them truly have any concept of what it means to fight for your life against other people.  They’ve been in battles with Titans, and watched their fellow soldiers get killed by Titans.  But none of them have ever had to fight against or kill another human being just to survive.  In that way, none of them have any true concept or grasp of the darker side of human nature, or the kind of desperation that comes from a life of extreme deprivation and struggle.  Other than the last five years of their lives, in which their world was turned upside down by the Titan invasion, they’ve all, before then, had relatively comfortable, contented lives, with homes and families, in which they were very much provided for.

Levi, of course, had none of that growing up.  He spent the first 25 years of his life living in total uncertainty and struggle, where there was never enough of anything, where every scrap of food had to be fought for, where there was never enough money, and where you never knew who was going to stab you in the back just to get for themselves what you had.  In a world where he had to fight every day of his life just to survive, and where if he hesitated in any way to defend himself, he would be killed for that hesitation.  A world that truly operated by the rule “kill or be killed”.  

Jean’s hesitation to kill the MP, and the results of that hesitation, throws the disconnect from their experiences in life with Levi’s into stark relief.  They don’t understand that kind of desperate struggle to survive, the way Levi does.  They’ve never had to kill other people in order to keep living, or to keep their friends safe, and so they can’t begin to understand why Levi is the way he is.  Their judgmentalism towards Levi at the end of chapter 57, and their shocked reactions to his killing of the MPs in chapter 58, highlight their own ignorance as to what Levi’s been through in his life in a really powerful, and heartrending way, and it reminds us as readers, too, of the remarkableness of Levi’s own compassion and understanding for everyone else.  Levi’s had a harder life than anyone else in the SC, and yet he’s constantly able to show understanding and compassion towards everyone around him.  The LACK of compassion that the members of his own squad show towards him, then, their lack of understanding or attempts to understand where he’s coming from , is a particularly bitter pill to swallow.  It’s sad.  Of course, through these experiences, I think they come to better understand Levi, and their respect for him continues and grows.  But it felt incredibly jarring and was really painful, to see how before that they were so ready to judge him and make such false and hurtful accusations against him, while Levi had, and continued to show them incredible kindness and consideration.  It shows, in an incredibly moving way, how someone who comes from nothing can often have more compassion and kindness and humanity than those who come from a world of comfort and privilege.