#loved the episode but didn't feel like i had much to say

[demonslayerunhinged]

Unhinged theory

The Passion of Sanemi Shinazugawa

Sanemi has no chill.

We all been knew this. His chill is one of the things that the fandom has accepted canonically doesn't exist, like Inosuke's uniform shirt or Zenitsu's dating standards, but the reason for his lack of chill and generally aggressive behavior is still a much debated topic to this day.

I have made two posts here and here breaking down his backstory, his trauma and socio-economical circumstances that made him the man he is today but, I still wasn't satisfied. Something nagged me about this character and his personality that I couldn't put my finger on. So I pondered, for days going through each episode, rereading the manga taking note of his actions and interactions with other characters.

Then, it finally hit me.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe I've found the answer.

Sanemi, our sweet boy, is SEXUALLY FRUSTRATED.

Let me explain.

butt first...

What is sexual frustration?

According to Medical News Today,

Sexual frustration describes a state of irritation, agitation, or stress resulting from sexual inactivity or dissatisfaction. Sexual frustration is a common, natural feeling, and it can affect anyone.

Some symptoms include:

Feeling irritable, restless, and edgy (so Sanemi's entire personality?)

Engaging in unhealthy coping skills (like wanting to brawl with another man for no reason and after having a sexually-charged training session 🤨)

Performing riskier behaviors to fulfill sexual desires (like exposing your entire chest and leaving it vulnerable just so you can show off your tits like a slut 🤨🤨).

Compulsive or hypersexual behaviors (like wanting to grab another man by the hair just so he won't go away 🤨🤨🤨)

Depression or anxiety for men (see this post)

“Seeking revenge” against targets that are the believed source of the frustration (basically Sanemi vs Giyuu)

Displaced frustration on targets with no connection to the frustration (Sanemi vs Tanjiro vs Junior Slayers)

How did this cum to be?

Okay so, I have this headcanon that the Shinazugawa men have a high sex drive. I mean, there's the seven kids from Kyogo which means he had to be laying pipe...a lot(F's in the chat for Shizu 😔) and Genya's horniness when he breathes the same air as a girl, so it's safe to say that Sanemi also has a high sex drive.

After the tragedy that struck his family (Shizu killing the kids, not Kyogo's death because fuck that guy), Sanemi lost any hope or chance of a normal life. In the light novel Sign post of the Wind, Sanemi tells Masachika that life isn't for fun, and he has expressed his distaste for 'frivolous' things.

He denies himself these things because he believes he doesn't deserve them, why should he enjoy life when he killed his mom, when he couldn't protect his siblings, when his brother rightfully hates him, when demons still exist, when families are still being ripped apart, when his colleagues and juniors are being killed and when Genya is in constant danger. The only thing he allows himself is ohagi which is a reminder of happier times.

He has no time for friends, for love and definitely not for sex, which by extension includes masturbation. He won't be able to jerk off without seeing the faces of his mom and his siblings -and yes, that sentence was just as awkward for me writing it as you reading it- so he resigned himself to a life of solitude and sexual frustration, which caused him to develop his aggressive and no-chill personality but at least he was able to manage for a while, that was until he met Giyuu.

Cum hither Giyuu

Sanemi's no-nut journey became even more unbearable when he met Giyuu. There was just something about that sappy, derpy, stupid face that stole his heart and even though Giyuu's personality should've made it easy to stay away, the power of love and horny didn't allow that to happen.

Like I mentioned before in a previous post, what followed was a series of sexually-tense situations and interactions between the two Hashiras, so every time Giyuu happened to enter Sanemi's field of vision, I guess you could say more or less he was:

Reaching out for help

In the light of their impending doom with Muzan's arrival, Sanemi has a realization; he's obviously going to die soon, that doesn't scare Sanemi, he's accepted the fact that he's going to die anyway but to die as a virgin? Now that's not good. With the failure of trying to reach out to Giyuu in the Hashira meeting and the disaster that was the attempted eye-poking incident and being shamed by a 16-year-old Sanemi decides 'fuck it' and tries to reach out to Giyuu again.

But he can't go crawling to Giyuu and be like 'please fuck me', no no no that would not do instead he has the brilliant idea to challenge Giyuu to combat under the guise of 'training' in some misguided hope that the spar would get both their temperatures up which would in turn get Giyuu horny enough to rip off his clothes and fuck him. Yay! The plan is foolproof!

I already mentioned in this post how Sanemi's suggestion for a brawl made no sense as he could have just taken the Muichiro route and suggested they use their actual katanas, but no he wanted a full body contact brawl. Like look at how excited he was at the concept of brawling with Giyuu, like no wonder Tanjiro was scared for Giyuu!

JUST LOOK AT THIS FACE!!! LOOK AT THE DESPERATION!!! OUR BOY IS SO PENT UP HE'S ON THE VERGE OF INSANITY!!!

THIS IS THE FACE OF A MAN WHO HASN'T NUTTED IN 21 YEARS! He was literally begging BEGGING Giyuu to touch him! 😭

Tanjiro(bestest boy ❤️) was rightfully afraid for his big bro, so he intercepts (read cock blocks) Sanemi! Imagine how he felt at that moment; he was THIS close to some body contact and then comes in the same child who kills his rep at every turn! Not only that, but Tanjiro clocks in Sanemi's intentions and decided to put a stop to it by hitting him where he hurts; ohagi.

Imagine your biggest social opp coming along with his innocent, stupidly sweet face when you've finally decided to open yourself up to fucking your forever crush and killing whatever and all sexual tension with his annoying innocence!

Then, as if on a mission to destroy your spirit, reveals your secret love of ohagi! A sweet typically enjoyed by children! Right in front of his future baby daddy!

Tanjiro then drives the knife even further by asking him his ohagi preferences, talking about how his grandma used to make ohagi and shit!

LIKE BOYYYYYYYY

That explains why he was so salty even hours later. If I were him, I'd be pissed too! The fuck! I love how he stopped walking on the steps just to cuss Tanjiro out, like you can tell it came from the very depths of his soul.

I mean, you can literally hear the pain and frustration in his voice. That is the cry of a man who spent three hours douching, only to have his Grindr date cancel on him.

Celebrating the big O

After the events of the final showdown we see a more relaxed, almost peaceful Sanemi which tells us one thing - our boy finally got laid!

But when? and with whom?

Well Giyuu, duh. I theorize that it happened sometime during the three months of recuperation before Tanjiro woke up, and they had their last Hashira meeting. I mean, look at how they're smiling at each other, you can't tell me these guys didn't fuck at least once.

Sanemi came(lol) out(lol again!) of the encounter a changed man. He's moisturized, demure, in his lane, thriving.

Look at him here; tits covered 'cuz Giyuu has made an honest man out of him, and that peaceful look? Damn, dick was so good blud had to look up to the heavens like

In Conclusion, Sanemi's character development is really inspirational because it's a story of one man's triumph over thirst and yea I don't know how to end this post, so I'll just leave you with some words of wisdom:

[venusindelusion]

Giving In (to the Love): Once More to See You

4th chapter

SUMMARY: Being in her presence had an unclear effect on you, but how far would you allow yourself to go with it? WC: 3K PAIRING: Vi x Fem!Reader WARNINGS: alcohol, underage driving, miscommunication A/N: let's pretend we didn't watch the last episode of arcane girls Previous chapter

Waking up to another headache from drinking had you thinking you really needed to refuse having your glass refilled. You sit on the bed and take in your surroundings, it was strange to wake up at someone else's bedroom, someone you barely knew.

As you were getting up, you could hear laughter coming from the living room. Your phone was still on the night stand so you grabbed it and opened the door.

"So you just punched him?” a familiar voice asked.

"Yeah, had to—" Violet turned her head around and saw you standing by the door frame, she was about to grab a cup from the cupboard, "Morning, sunshine."

"Good morning," you answer while she's filling the cup with coffee, then hands it to you, "Uh..."

"Cait made it, don't worry," she says when she sees your face twisted in disgust, the clear memory of a coffee made by Violet still haunting you.

"Cait?" you ask in confusion then walk to the table and see your best friend sitting with her own cup of coffee between her hands. Caitlyn greets you and smiles, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I had to bring some stuff and Vi told me you were here, so I stayed," she replies and takes a sip at her coffee. You nodded in response and drank your own coffee, listening to them chatting about what happened last night with that costumer Violet had to kick out.

Your headache wasn't as painful anymore but you could feel your body asking for water. Just when you were about to ask Vi for it, she hands you a bottle and winks at you. Feeling your cheeks already warm, you thank her and drink, your throat getting finally hydrated and more fresh. Caitlyn was watching you curiously, seeing your face heated up after that small interaction with Violet but she said nothing about it. Instead, she finished her coffee and got up from her seat, saying she had to go back to work or else Marcus would literally kill her.

"Already?" Violet asked her, getting up herself and grabbing her keys while Caitlyn walked to the door.

"Yes, but I'll text you the rest of the details later." Caitlyn says before waving you goodbye and walking out of the apartment with Violet behind her.

You sit there in silence, staring at the mug; it had little drawings on it, very colorful just like the ones hanged on the wall downstairs, and one single letter "V" on the side. Was this Violet's mug? Maybe her sister made it for her, it certainly was a few years old, you could tell the colors were a bit washed out.

While you were inspecting that, something on the table catches your attention; an envelope directed to Violet, sealed with a stamp you'd recognize anywhere. It was the Kiramman's stamp. Your stomach twists in a knot and you grab the envelope, refusing to believe Caitlyn would write a letter to Violet. It seemed impossible, you knew Caitlyn, she wouldn't do that kind of thing for a random person— so this meant they were really close, for her to even use her family stamp on it.

"Why do I even care?" you think to yourself, unable to figure out the reason behind this awkward feeling, but you couldn't stop looking at the envelope, a million questions going through your mind at the same time.

The door slides open and you rapidly leave the envelope where it was, your heart beating fast at the sight of Violet walking in. She catches your fast movement and looks at you confused but she shrugs it off and walks to be beside you, holding herself with one hand on the back of your chair. Being this close to each other was too much for your nervous system.

"So," she begins, "shall we get into it, cupcake?" Feeling blood rushing to your cheeks and your heart beating faster than before, you stare at her in disbelief, unable to formulate a single word, and her eyes widen. She laughs outloud and covers her face with one hand, you couldn't understand what was so funny for her while you were feeling like your heart was a little bird trying to get free from your ribcage. After a few minutes of hysterical laughter from her, she clarifies, "I meant studying."

Oh God.

That did nothing to help you calm down, you felt so stupid and embarrassed. What were you even thinking? Of course she meant studying, that's why you were here in the first place. That was the whole reason you got to meet her at all.

You let out an awkward chuckle and nod, then go grab your bag and take out the same things you used the day before for her tutoring. Taking your previous seat, you start your lesson.

The red light was on as Caitlyn waited, her hands on the steering wheel and her fingers softly hitting on it; her brain was working a thousand miles per hour, trying to figure out a strategy for the case she was currently assigned to. She could hear her mother in the back of her head, saying "You have to earn all of this."

Once the red light turned to green, she continued driving to the office. Looking for a place to park wasn't difficult, she had her own special spot, a big hand-written like sign with her name on it. She got out of the car and sighed, looking up at the building with her eyes furrowed; it was still on remodelation, some of the letters were missing and the new door gave an imponent feeling, it was beautifully hand-made, its frame had little details of gold and the thin windows on both sides allowed the insides to be seen. Of course, you couldn't miss the big 'CK' carved on the panels of the door.

Although her relationship with her mother was a bit rough on the edges, she had to give it to her— she had amazing taste. Remodelating was Cassandra's idea, she thought giving a new image would suit the firm, she wanted to tell they were not stuck in the past. They were moving forward. And that's something Caitlyn agreed on completely.

Caitlyn was greeted with a pile of papers laying on her desk and a little note saying "Quick" on its side. She was tired of this meaningless paperwork, but knowing that if she could finish it early then Marcus would let her dive fully into what really mattered: her new case.

It wasn't long ago she was assigned to it after tiredlessly trying to convince her boss; he had said she wasn't experienced enough so he would look for someone else to assist him, but if Caitlyn had a remarkable virtue— or flaw, it was her stubborness. In the end, he ended up agreeing to make use of her unexperienced assistance under the condition of overworking her with all that meaningless paperwork.

To no one's surprise, Cassandra wasn't fond of the idea of Caitlyn helping such a delicate case like this. She prefferred her to dedicate her education and time to more lucrative ones, or like she calls them, "educational"; cases where her daughter would have to defend wealthy tycoons who spent their lives taking advantage of their privileges to commit crimes or abuse their position.

"Hurry up, Kiramman." Marcus was standing by the door, watching Caitlyn carefully as she wrote down on her notebook. She nodded without taking her eyes off the papers, her hand working rapidly on those letters. "Take those to my office once you're done."

She heard his footsteps getting away and stopped for a minute, it felt like she had been working all day on this and it was barely half way done. Looking at the little clock on her desk, it was a bit past lunch time and her stomach was growling at her, pleading for something more than just the coffee she had for breakfast.

Putting her pen down, she got up from her seat and walked towards the cafeteria. One of the requests she had made to her mother when she offered her the job was to treat her like any other intern, no cafeteria privilege either, so she got in line like everyone else and waited for her turn to order.

Once her sandwich and, of course, coffee were ready, Caitlyn took a seat near the window. Her mind was too focused on her case of interest, she felt personally and emotionally involved— which under no circumstance should happen, but it did and she couldn't stop thinking about it. Being able to help such a dear friend of hers was worth all the effort and extra hours she had to do.

Violet broke into her life by coincidence. Actually, more like by a literal accident; Caitlyn almost got crashed by Vi's little sister who had decided she wanted to drive Vi's motorbike and so she did. While Caitlyn was parking her car in front of her best friend's building, she heard someone yelling at her and before she could react, the little blue haired teenager crashed her open door. After many half apologies and some insults from Jinx, Caitlyn was taken to The Last Drop to meet the real owner of the vehicle.

She was already familiar with the place but only from outside, never dared to cross the door given its reputation and the prejudice she carried in the back of her mind, always present. Violet actually apologized to her and reprimended her younger sister, called the inssurance and made sure to give Caitlyn everything she needed to make the claim and then offered her a drink.

That afternoon, after some disgusting coffee made by Violet, was life changing for her. They chatted and Caitlyn found out they took a few classes together, but they never met each other because of Vi regularly skipping. Her never ending curiosity served to make Violet tell her a bit about her life and the bar, she said that it has been closed for a few days due to a tragedy and her ownership was at stake since someone named Silco wanted to sue her for it.

It didn't seem fair that Violet should lose her father's legacy because of an old society that held no legal weight, so Caitlyn offered to help. She put the accident aside and decided this was the reason for her to be working in the firm, these were the kind of cases she wanted to work on; she wanted to help people as much as she could.

Those memories stood deeply in her heart even now as she was finishing her sandwich. She returned to the office more motivated than before and kept working, hoping Marcus wouldn't bother her until it was finished.

Violet waved goodbye to her tutor and closed the door behind her, walking upstairs and getting into her apartment again. It was late in the afternoon and she'd have to open the bar soon and prepare everything to receive the usual customers.

Not many people went drinking during the week days but the ones who did were always at The Last Drop, ready to spend the rest of the night sulking or causing trouble; Vi didn't mind that, she got used to dealing with drunk men and was happy to show them some moves and kick them out. They always came back and apologized once they were sober, then asked for their usual drinks again.

Even though she spent most of her day studying and taking notes, she felt refreshed and full of energy— it didn't feel tiring or draining, the way her tutor explained different concepts and stated the connection between them, how she would prepare actual drinkable coffee for both of them; Violet would make an exception and have some as well, then watch how the other girl's face twists when she realizes her coffee is too hot and burns her tongue a bit, looking back at Vi and laughing.

The little breaks they took in between allowed Violet to get to know her a bit better, to ask about her interests or listen to her anecdotes, her complains about some of the classes which were proving to be harder than expected; she paid more attention to that than the lesson itself. When she cried that night, it had moved Violet— she wasn't expecting that kind of reaction after joking about what Powder used to say, and although the girl was sobbing, she didn't take pity on neither of them, she didn't make any comment about how sorry she was or how strong Violet must have been to deal with any of it, she just cried and then laughed at herself for being too drunk.

She checked her phone and saw a text from Powder, saying "Ooooout tonight sis!" and sighed, then received a second one from Ekko telling her that he had invited her sister over to watch Scream's whole saga and eat burgers. Rolling her eyes at how dramatic her younger sister was and how much she enjoyed making her worry, she put her phone away and got into the shower.

Hot water dripping down her body was all Violet needed before work so after being all cleaned up, she got changed into her usual bartender attire, a black shirt and trousers, and headed downstairs. She turned the neon lights on and played some music, then opened the doors and stayed behind the counter, waiting for people to start coming in.

Her mind drifted for a bit, remembering she wouldn't have the next lesson until next week. That bumped her down a little, she was hoping it would become a regular thing, like part of her routine, since she already got used to having her tutor around— which was unsettling.

"She's just doing her job." She reminded herself while pouring whisky on a glass for her own delight. Violet knew she enjoyed her company but wasn't sure what her tutor thought of her; she seemed a bit awkward when they were together, avoiding her gaze or fidgeting. Perhaps she didn't like her that much since Violet did post that embarrassing picture of her after all.

Vi grabbed her phone and instantly deleted that post she had made the night of the party, not caring anymore about the exams or the tutoring lessons, all she wanted was to at least befriend that girl. She thought about asking Caitlyn, but what would she even ask about? Why did she care so much?

She decided to take matters into her own hands and stop acting like an anxious teenage girl, so she typed a simple question and clicked to send it then immediately put her phone down. God, what was wrong with her?

You were completely exhausted, combining tutoring and studying for your own classes was taking its toll on you. It was a relief Violet understood you would be busy for the rest of the week since you were far behind on some key topics for the upcoming tests.

"Keep reading this last book and take notes." You had told her earlier before leaving her apartment.

"I'll surprise you, cupcake." She had answered, making you blush with that stupid nickname.

Your exams should take priority, you knew that, but part of the reason you decided to take a break from her was because of the envelope— you felt completely out of place, Violet had some kind of effect on you which was unclear to you just yet, but you didn't want to get in between anything. If there was something going on between her and your best friend.

Taking the left overs from the fridge, you take a seat on the couch and turn on the TV. Your mind was far away and you couldn't pay attention to the romcom playing in front of you, these people were so lucky it made you envious.

On the little table beside the couch, your phone made its particular sound alerting someone had sent you a message. You unlocked it and scrolled through your notifications; most of them were from group chats, people taking the same classes as you discussing which topic was more likely to appear in the exam and helping each other with some questions. You keep scrolling until your best friend's name pops up, she had texted you last night when you were completely wasted at Violet's place, saying she still needed your help with her current case and asking when would you be available for that. Sighing heavier than needed, you answer that she was welcome to bring food this weekend and you'd be happy to assist.

Guilt was flooding your senses, it wasn't fair to Caitlyn that you were feeling like this— she hadn't done anything wrong. Who could blame a girl for having a life? Certainly not you. But you just wanted to know what was going on without coming off as nosy, which you were.

She replied straight away saying she'd bring your favourite food as a way of thanking you. Laughing at her exaggeration, you keep scrolling until one message makes your eyes widen. It was from Violet. Your heart pace quickened as you read her text, which said "wanna come see me boxing this weekend?"

Unable to difere a thought from another, you stare at the little letters on your screen uncapable of believing she would invite you anywhere. Did this mean you were getting closer? Maybe she just wanted to fill an empty space cheering for her.

"Sure, should I bring a cheering sign?" You asked jokingly, trying to act cool and less like a nervous mess.

"make it pink and bright." Violet replied almost instantly, making you laugh softly in the solitude of your apartment. You definitely didn't care about studying anymore, this was all you were looking forward to now.

"I'll be your number one fan then."

"you better." Smiling to yourself at her answer, you decide to head to bed and sleep everything off.

TAG LIST: @pokiiks, @wickedlovely121

[carto0ncritter]

Abusive fictional fathers - Robotnik vs. Stolas

I won't be talking about Coconuts here since he's not on screen that much, but know that I feel sorry for the stuff he's been through, poor guy

Robotnik ⮕ Scratch & Grounder

Like... he literally only created these two to use and abuse them and that's crystal clear

When I say Robotnik is an abusive pos, this is what I mean (and this is just some of the physical abuse, don't even get me started on the emotional):

...Okay, that last picture was the last straw. Robotnik's thrist for power has officially outweighted Scratch and Grounder's "value." He felt 0 remorse for throwing them into the lava. Keep in mind, he THOUGHT HE HAD KILLED THEM and DIDN'T CARE AT ALL. Thankfully they were fine. And no the fact that they're robots doesn't make it any less wrong

If you're willing to sacrifice your children for a powerful artefact, then I'm (NOT) sorry to say this, but you're a heartless pos and deserve to be held accountable for your actions. If I were in Scratch and Grounder's shoes, I would have ran the hell away right then and there and found home elsewhere

However, unlike with Stolas and Octavia, at least the narrative doesn't try to convince us that Robotnik loves his sons. Because if he did, he would have tried to change his behavior. Or better, he wouldn't have abused them IN THE FIRST PLACE! AT ALL! No matter what he had gone through! I'm not denying that his mom was a pos to him just like he's a pos to scratch and grounder, but i refuse to see this as an excuse. he should have tried his best to break the cycle of abuse

*sigh* Now I've gotta talk about that stupid bird man... let's just get this over with.

Stolas ⮕ Octavia

Stolas is shown to have been there for Via in her childhood. although we never see them bond over anything, connect emotionally with each other or spend quality time together, we've only got this one nightmare scene. this was the only time stolas was shown to care about octavia

He did his best to calm her down and make her feel safe, then proceeded to break his promise for a booty call. For a childhood "friend" that his father bought for him 25 years ago.

And you're telling me how Stolas didn't realize that bringing Blitzø along in Loo Loo Land is uh... a bad idea that will make his daughter feel even worse?

I HATE the excuse that Stolas was "just clueless." Because anyone with the tiniest bit of common sense would come to the same conclusion: flirting with your booty call in front of your daughter who is a minor and going through emotional hell that happened because you cheated on her mother makes you a horrible and selfish father.

Even worse is that Stolas doesn't learn his lesson and once again neglects Octavia. Stolas is too busy hating his ex wife and gushing over his abuse victim that he can't even be bothered to look for his daughter himself, and instead Loona has to be the one to go find her. And then she literally tells Via how her dad's trying his best and how she should cut him some slack. No. No she shouldn't. Octavia was right to think that Stolas hates Stella more than he loves her because that's what his actions show.

He can hug her all he wants and promise to do better but he has done nothing to even TRY to be better for this poor girl.

Not to mention that Loona is a hypocrite. Blitzø has always been doing his best to be a good dad to her, and she thanks him for saving her life by being a complete bitch. It's been five. Fucking. Years. Of unconditional love and support from Blitzø's side. And what does he get in return? A kick in the balls. Blitzø also got beat up by her and hit with the "if I'm so terrible why don't you replace me" after he rightfully called her out and you're trying to tell me Blitzø was the one in the wrong and how this isn't abusive huh ok then whatever ya say

I won't talk about the upcoming episode much. I honestly just don't have the strength anymore. But to make it as short as possible, Stolas is gonna be treated like an uwu poor sad gay boi and once again choose Blitzø, the guy he r*ped, over his own child.

If you check out the leaked story boards for s2 ep12, you'll see how disgusting it is that Via is spitting nothing but facts and yet she'll be demonized by the writers, Stolas lovers and Stolitz shippers. Just...

Please stop lying, dude. Just stop. You shattered her entire life and neglected her for a guy you abused and never got to know on a level that's deeper than sex. No wonder Via thinks he doesn’t love her anymore. The line above gives me the same vibe as THIS line also they made Stolas not only ACT like a guy who victimizes himself but LOOK that way too

STOP LYING. JUST SHUT UP.

I hate this self-pitying hypocrite sm.

And yeah, I get it: he was put in an arranged marriage (this was clearly a retcon, but whatever floats viv's boat) despite being gay and was sheltered and never had friends, but those are explanations for his behavior, not excuses.

Oh and, to anyone who thinks otherwise: Emotional neglect is a form of abuse.

Closing Thoughts

One important thing that I noticed with both Scratch and Grounder and Octavia, is how none of them feel at home with their fathers. A reliable way to know whether you've failed as a parent or not is to see how your behavior affects your kid(s). How does your behavior make them feel?

Let's see here... *checks notes*

Octavia says how Stolas ruined their family, not Stella and in ep12 she's finally gonna call him out on his bullshit thank god. but unfortunately the toxic gay ship will once again be a priority because it's gay

Scratch and Grounder are terrified of Robotnik's wrath, he constantly makes them feel useless and unwanted, but at the same time, they have no problem betraying him both of them always come back to him, just like how Blitzø doesn't leave his abuser because he wants to feel "loved" and "needed" for once even though Stolas treats him like shit

So yeah, if you made your kid(s) feel this way, you've officially failed as a father.

[crowwithacomputer]

Thoughts on Arcane S2 so far (devastated) and small predictions (even more devastated)

With Spoilers

On Jinx and Vi

Nothing better than discovering that your dad is actually not dead but a literal fucking beast and now you have to talk to your sister who turned emo/crazy to save him.

+ Silco and Vander were besties.

I'm happy to see the new relationship between these two after all. So much to apologise and so much to say, and also trying to save the country. I just hope they have small sister fights constantly.

On Caitlyn

I must admit I didn't see Cait coming because I thought she just turned evil but turns out people are complex beings and Cait is not Ambessa.

"Caitlyn is not distracted" that's such a hard line from Vi. She was so distracted by Ambessa but she's right back on track. I love seeing THE lesbians back. Now, they have a lot to talk about and mostly with Jinx, because that sister-in-law relationship is, well, it's definitely a relationship.

On Isha

Wow. I don't even know how to feel because WOW. She was one of the strongest characters I've seen. She loved these people, who by the way she (more or less) just met and she sacrificed her entire life for them and many more. THAT'S strong. I'm gonna miss her and I'm sure Jinx is NOT letting this slide.

On Jayce and Viktor

Jayce is so absolutely traumatised he went insane and I'm just hoping Viktor didn't actually die because I will start killing people, but I'm not mad at him. Mostly I want to see how he turns out. Of course he didn't want to kill him but he did what he thought was okay.

I think the final speech Viktor gave was absolutely amazing. Again, the complexity of the characters is something I had definitely never seen before (although I haven't consumed as much media as I would like to), and how the writers were able to build everything has me crying.

My prediction is that Jayne will be suffering quite a lot and think about Viktor nonstop. The thing is (coming from my own sadness) I think Viktor is not dead, but his body is. He transcended human nature and will be talking to Jayce, maybe through whatever the hammer has going on. My boy Jayce has it BAD.

I want at least a hug and Jayce bawling his eyes out. Ugly crying. Snot, tears and drool all over his face apologising to Viktor and not knowing what to do. And then they both smooch in the weird arcane realm they're in. *figurines clicking together sounds*

Now for real, I would love it if Viktor got into his mind when he sleeps of whatever and talks to him. Maybe he explains what he's seen and Jayce and him fight over what to do, because they have extremely different views on Hextech. That will be a good fight to see.

On Ekko and Mel

Oh god what is going on. For real what are they putting my girl and my boy through. Someone help these people.

Like, Jayce got out but where the fuck are Ekko and Heimendinger? And Mel is just lost in the weirdest realm ever, even worse than whatever Viktor has going on. All of this will be cleared out in the next episodes but damn. There's A LOT to clear out.

My thoughts

I must admit I didn't do a rewatch and that's leaving me with a few questions, but I'll probably watch it all over again and see the full show at its finest.

I will say that in the series that I watch I usually pick favourites. If they're not on screen I lose interest, but this show has me on a chokehold. Every one of these characters are so important and so interesting, and I think that's what makes a show good.

Beautiful writing, beautiful storytelling, beautiful art, beautiful pace. I just love it. As an amateur writer I love seeing this, it's such an inspiration to continue. It's so hard to watch knowing my favs will be going through hell but as a writer it's amazing to see how well the writers built that hell. So to conclude:

The girls are all against Ambessa, me and my besties overthrowing the government.

Jayce and Viktor having yet ANOTHER boyfriend fight, biblical edition.

Mel and Ekko are having the worst weed paranoia ever seen, now with magic.

The whole country is collapsing and these stupid bitches have to save it with the power of friendship and gayness, and I'm here for it.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[icy-watch]

Ok, and that was the end of s2p2 of Ninjago: Dragons Rising.

Lots going on at the end there.

There are Emotions here.

So predictions for next season.

The Fab 5 are going to be the main antagonists. That's pretty much a given at this point. It's going to be a tough fight, but there's going to be only 1 person or being who'll be able to defeat them:

Ras's master.

I still have no idea who or what that could be, but they're this giant looming threat over everything. They are, ultimately, going to be the final threat.

I feel like they've been pulling some strings and really want Arin, not Ras, by their side. And as soon as Arin masters Shatterspin, they're going to ditch Ras.

That's just what I'm feeling rn.

And then there's Jay. Nya and Kai are going to find Jay. I"m not sure if they're going to ever restore his memories. I would love to believe that they'll be able to, but I think there's something lost about Jay's memories that are with Wu.

As in, Wu is somehow keeping Jay's memories from him for his own protection or something.

Oh, wait if Jay knows where Wu is and what's going on with him? Hmmmm. That's an interesting plot thread to go down. I might play with this idea later.

And, finally, the reason Wu caused the Merge. The idea I proposed while watching the episode feels... tangible. Wu caused the Merge bc if he didn't so something the Fab 5 would be unbeatable. They needed Elemental Powers in order to stop them.

This completely contradicts my prediction about about Ras's master being the only thing to defeat them, I know, but my brain is thinking many things and I can't control it.

And we have left now is to wait until the next season is released.

Correct and incorrect predictions below the cut.

Correct

The Forbidden Five caused some problems in the past and were sealed away or something. "Problems" is putting it lightly. Very lightly. It's implied they committed genocide. Multiple times.

The Forbidden Five were the last students Egalt and Rontu had. I had this marked as confirmed, but it's been so long since I last watch that episode to actually say yay or nay.

There is a portal gate at Mysterium. It wasn't confirmed in any of the episodes t appeared, but as it was in the City of Temples Monastery, it's safe to assume it has 1 as well.

Either Kai or Lloyd will be able to do the Rising Dragon technique first. Kai was first, and Lloyd was third. 😊

Something's up with Egalt, and Wyldfyre knows what it is. Sadly, she knows exactly what is is, bc she lost family members to the same disease.

2 members of the Fab 5 escaped and the second 1 is possessing Jordana. I think this was rather obvious to me.

We'll see some old friends at the Tournament of the Sources. We got Tox and Neuro and Mr. Pale and Chamille and maybe some others I forgot about.

Jay is either going to be a random competitor in the Tournament or 1 of the members of the Wolf Army. Por qué no los dos?

Bleckt can't be trusted. The fact I switched from Bleckt to Roby.

Zeatrix will make it decently far into the Tournament. She actually did. Before she lost and tried to kill Lloyd.

By the end of the season, Arin will join Ras. Technically, yes, he did.

Nokt and whoever's possessing Jordana killed the Matriarch. This became obvious. It was less obvious whether or not Ras was in on it or no.

There's a lot of manipulation in the Tournament to either help Ras or the Fab 5. Help in the form of an old man with buttons.

The City of Temples Monastery won't be how they get Kai and Bonzle back. It'll be something with the dragon horns. I'm genuinely surprised that this was the actual solution. Holy canoli.

Nokt and his sister are using Ras. He really is very easy to play with. They were holding a string in front of him and he was batting away at it, believing he was in control of everything this whole time.

Bleckt and Ras have been conspiring, but it has nothing to to with the missing horns. Yeah, their whole plot together was the subplot for the season. Nokt and Rox's plot ended up being the main 1.

Something will interrupt Sora and Nokt's fight. I'm counting Bleckt shifting the platform as an interruption. It wasn't what I assumed would happen, but it did keep Sora from actually winning the round like she should have.

There is going to be a fight between everyone and the Wolf Army. I feel like this was a given.

The rest of the Fab 5 (+ Kai and Bonzle) will be freed at the end of the season. This was another 1 of those things that felt like it was a given.

Jordie is going to get free from Rox. This 1 also felt like it was a given.

Incorrect

Sora is going to struggle with learning the Rising Dragon technique. She didn't even learn it.

Arin is going to do the best out of everyone learning the Rising Dragon technique. *sad laughter into a pillow*

Ras is sacrificing the Writers to keep control of the Wolf Army. Well, he was sacrificing them, just not to keep control of the Wolf Army. Actually, that resulted in him losing control of the army.

Bonzle was the reason none of the Finders could leave the Land of the Lost. She wasn't directly responsible for keeping them there, although she failed to mention that the spell holding them there was gone.

Bonzle was captured by the Administration. Not really... Jay tried, I'll give him that.

Zane, Cole, and Gandalaria won't realize Bonzle's been taken until after the fight. She managed to get away from Jay. Although, it would have been fun to see the 2 of them bonding a little bit.

Bonzle will be rescued. More like, she's going to save Kai from spiraling in the Nether-Realm.

Kai, Sora, and Wyldfyre will free Zane, Cole, and Gandalaria from the library. They were able to come up with a small solution all on their own.

Arin will join Ras at the end of the first half of the season. He made it much longer than that!

Lloyd will have another vision before he and Nya find Arin and reach the temple. He did not.

Beatrix will make a comeback this season. lol

Arin will find a clue as to where his parents are in the City of Temples. Ras saying he knows where Arin's parents are is not a clue. That is straight up manipulation and lies.

Frak is being used to get to the ninja bc of his history with Arin. Honestly, this would have been a good path to explore. But that would have meant that Ras would have to actually talk to his students rather than talk at them.

Zeatrix is the villain of the season. She never even stood a chance.

Wylfyre is either going to be completely oblivious to Roby's flirting and have it pointed out by Sora, OR she's going to notice and flirt back, turning him into a puddle of simp. Or the secret third thing where she's bad at flirting and so is Roby. They're both beans.

The Administrator called for the Matriarch to be killed. Nokt and Rox did that all on their own.

Roby is the 1 manipulating the Tournament. He was a bit too eager to have the ninja participate, and very into having the Most with the Tournament. But he's just a bean.

Nya left to find Jay. She and Riyu got kidnapped by Nokt and Rox.

The Fab 5 did something to sever the connection Nya and Riyu had with Kai and Bonzle. They did, indeed.

Arin will join the Fab 5 at the end of the season, instead of Ras. He ran after them, but he didn't actually join them. He was going after Ras.

Partial

Lloyd's vision is def going to happen. My predictions about exactly what are mostly accurate, but I thought it was Beatrix (like everyone else) and not Zeatrix. So, it sits in partial for being mostly accurate.

Riyu knows something's up with Arin. Sort of? But not really? Not in the way that Arin needed someone to notice that something was up with him.

Something bad will happen to Bonzle and Euphrasia. Euphrasia came out of the Blood Moon Ceremony with only being scarred mentally.

Nya's going to leave the group to go out and find Jay. Well, she did leave the group. And originally it was to go find Jay, but she got a little sidetracked.

Frak and Jordie will join the ninja at the end of the season. Frak did. Jordie is MIA.

Unconfirmed

The Monastery will be destroyed by Ras at some point, officially marking the end of Wu's time as master and the permanent start of Lloyd's. I'm genuinely still waiting for this to happen. It seems very possible.

The 3 Wu Theories: He's the Energy Dragon under Imperium. Or, he's running a tea shop somewhere. Or, he's the Administrator. I have a lot of ideas as to where Wu is at, tbh.

The Administration is playing a part in Ras freeing the Forbidden Five somehow.This all depends on who the Administrator is.

1 of Arin's parents is the Administrator. This would be terrible. I kinda want it to happen.

Wu caused the Merge for a good reason. Something had to happen to either merge the Realms or let them be destroyed. Waiting to see whether this 1 will be right or if Wu truly is evil.

Nokt was expecting someone other than Nya to participate in the Tournament. Someone who's not Kai. This is most likely Kai, but I still kinda feel like he was expecting a relative we don't know about yet.

[kyoteugly]

I'm feeling courageous with sharing my thoughts. I'm probably wrong but I want to get it out of my head because it's difficult to focus on something else ^^

I was saying that we should have some kind of reference to the kitchen scene and I think it was there, I just didn't focus on it (too distracted by Eddie). 

The moment when Eddie walks up to the door, adjusting his collar and hair, the moment he opens up the door, his pose open, little move with the leg, little nod with the head - "what's up?" in both friendly and challenging way - he's hyped and in a fun state of mind.

Yeah, I think this is a small reference to the kitchen scene... only this time it's from Eddie's side (no, he's not flirting like Buck did, it's just to give the vibe)... and what happened after that scene? They were both sitting on a couch with Chris, playing a game. 

3x09 - That was the only time we saw Buck and Eddie sitting together on Buck's couch.  8x06 - Buck and Eddie sitting together on Eddie's couch for the first time.  So yeah, the kitchen scene reference already happened. I was looking into their emotions too much and I missed it ^^''

The things below are just speculations, don’t take it too seriously. I'll make a proper post after I watch the episode.

Based on what we know about the upcoming episode we will get a lightning strike reference. 

I'm more and more convinced the lightning strike will be about Buck's bisexuality. In sneak peak he is not sure whether he should be interested in men or women. Just like he wasn't sure how he felt about his death. The conclusion of the coma dream was that being Buck is enough. So I think Buck will fully understand what his sexuality means to him and that it's not defined by who he's dating/sleeping with but by how he feels. That it's not about picking the pond to fish from but to go full sails on the open ocean.

And yes, I’ve seen Ryan in white shirt and like everybody I also had the shooting arc flashbacks. I even wrote some speculations about it but honestly it was just the same things I said before:

Buck being the one in danger (so nobody could kiss him this time)

Buck’s fear of losing Eddie (he can have this fear even if he’s the one dying) triggers his feelings realization

Eddie accepting his feelings for Buck

no love confession

Buddie begins with pinning era

Will this be a mid-season cliffhanger? Right now everything is possible. And I’m sure whatever Tim cooked up it’s gonna be way better than we expect.

[lonewolflupe]

My wholesome, sweetest, dearest Eobe,

I am going to put a cut below this sentence, because I know I am going to ramble, so you might want to sit down and take a cup of caf (or maybe don't; I don't think you should drink caf at this hour, but I'll leave that up to you)!

Massive Vaughn obsession incoming:

First of all, why in the Force am I so obsessed with Vaughn? I'm afraid I can't tell. It's easy to say I love ALL clones, and I think part of that is because of the whole tragedy? I don't know why, but I keep getting drawn to it. And unfortunately, there's a lot of tragic clone stories out there, and I think Vaughn's is definitely one of them.

I headcanon Vaughn as timid, a bit shy, especially in his cadet/shiny years. He is kind, smart and sharp, but he prefers to listen and observe before interfering with any business. It makes him a good listener, and it is quickly noticed by his brothers. They come to him for advice, to talk about their problems, maybe even their traumatic experiences during the war. And Vaughn always manages to put a smile on their faces, to let them walk away a bit 'lighter'. And that's what earns him the rank of Captain, eventually; because he has such a good position with his brothers. They trust him.

And he admires Rex so much (and obviously he's shy about it). Maybe he even starts to stutter around Rex, because he looks up to him, because he's such an example to him; to any clone, actually. Imagine his excitement and pride when he gets promoted to Captain, to step into his idol's footsteps.

And then he serves under Ahsoka Tano. I bet his freckled cheeks would beam from being so proud, his eyes would shine from honour. All the boys from the 501st love Ahsoka, for being an amazing Commander, for being such an understanding and compassionate Jedi. And even the shinies that didn't serve under her after she left the Jedi Order know the stories. And Vaughn is assigned as her Captain.

He feels so honoured. He is so proud. He hopes one day, he'll be as good a Captain as Rex is. He's sure he'll get there, serving under Ahsoka. A Captain his men will look up to.

And then Mandalore happens.

And my heart aches. I know I shouldn't get attached to a clone that only appears in one episode. I knew beforehand, when those episodes aired and I watched them for the first time, I knew back then those episodes would be hard and they would destroy me. I could have known they would end in heartbreak, one way or another. I shouldn't have attached myself to one of them like the way I did to Vaughn.

But I did, and here I am, shedding tears for a fictional man that had a few minutes of screentime. And you know what? I am thankful that he died at Mandalore, actually. Because I couldn't have coped if he had been alive during Order 66, his biochip activated. Seeing him go down the Tribunal along with Jesse and the rest of the loyal soldiers of the 332nd Company. Ahsoka's Troopers.

I'm glad he was spared that fate.

...

Alright I am so sorry it wasn't my intention to get this emotional, to get this dark, I just wanted to share my thoughts about Vaughn like I've never done before.

So that was the 'first of all', so here comes the 'secondly':

EOBE I LOVE THIS ART SO MUCH AND I AM VERY UNWELL ABOUT IT AND MY HEART SKIPPED A BEAT (several actually) WHEN YOU DROPPED THIS AND I KEEP ON LOOKING AT HIS BEAUTIFUL FACE AND HIS EYES AND AAAAAAAA-

Alright Lupe, take a deep breath, you can do this. Zennnnnnnnnnnnn 🧘🏻‍♀️ OK I think I'm good to go.

WRONG

HELP

EOBE I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT VAUGHN AND I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO DRAW HIM BUT NOW THAT YOU DROPPED THE ART I CAN'T BELIEVE IT LOOK AT HIM JUST LOOK AT HIM HE LOOKS SO SWEET AND KIND AND

Yeah I'm sorry I'll continue without the caps lock, I'm just still very unwell about this because I love him so much, my sweet little antenna boi.

But Eobe, he is so beautiful, you made such a stunning drawing (you always do <3) and it means so much to me that you 1) once again drew something because of me, and 2) it is Vaughn VAUGHN my love <333

I also absolutely love that you used my design with the ginger hair and freckles, that means so much to me ❤️ And your addition with the heterochromia only made it better, it's perfect, and I'll be using it whenever I draw another helmetless Vaughn (because he deserves all the love and attention)!

Thankyouthankyouthankyou for drawing my sweet little antenna boi, it means the galaxy to me and he is perfect, your art always makes me smile; those big, shining eyes of those clones looking right into my soul, comforting and warming me. And I know it's because you put a little bit of yourself into it, and thus those clones are radiating a bit of the beauty of your personality, your character.

And I am so happy to call you my friend ❤️ Thank you for this <3

...

Did I mention I love Vaughn and this art piece?

And here he is – Captain Vaughn 🤩

Captain Rex didn’t feel like being Commander, but this is how we got Captain Vaughn, showing his loyalty and kindness only within moments in the 332nd company for Ahsoka (s7e9), so he's one of the underrated clones which would have deserved more sceentime *sigh* ♥️

We never got to see his face, so there’s so much space for head canons, isn’t it? 🥰 His look in this piece is inspired by this gorgeous look (<-) designed by @lonewolflupe 🫶 

I also want to share some process magic while I was working on Captain Vaughn, so ramble incoming 😁 Take a seat and have a caf ☕️ 

It’s always the eyes when I draw. They just lead the main energy of the character and that influences the face. So I sketched line after line and his face got clearer… with some unforeseen vibes! Since I’m not that fixed to templates anymore, there can be more variation, no matter how much I try to catch the right copy paste clone-face angles... or even colors 🤯 

Have a closer look into unusual clone eyes, oh yes 👀

Lupe and I were chatting about his lighter look with freckles in her artwork (a bit Tech color palette with golden and copper tones) and I told her that I don’t know why, but I feel like some heterochromia in his eyes 😀 So his eyes are like this now – not planned and unforeseen, like it is often when art takes over ✨

I really don’t know what the Kaminoans were doing during the cloning process 😂 but we got some varied clones – for example ‚icy eyes‘ Edge from the Tango company, or the blue eyed drunk one meeting Fives in front of the 79s (I named him ‚Blues‘ hehe 😜).

Without guiding my lines along a template, doing everything out of my mind, sometimes I might get either feeling like crooked fingers or odd sight, but this can be the point where the true art magic begins, because I’m not in charge anymore. I can only shrug and surrender to the flow and I love it 🥰

So I don’t know when it happened, but look at him… 👀 WHY does he look a bit like Echo? AND Rex? And there’s something soft in his eyes what reminds me of Kix, too? And it just fits his calm and loyal character!

For Commander Wolffe for example it could never be this face and it would never happen in the drawing process like that, it wouldn’t fit, but… I’m rambling – I could never point to the lines or the moment where things like this happen. Yeah, they’re all clones and share the same face, but faces do shape after their thoughts, experiences and their lives – more frowning or more smiling 😀

Oh, I love this. Not really being in charge while drawing, but achieving so much more without being under the illusion of the concept of control what is we’re all be taught… holy force I’m really rambling and diving

Sorry not sorry, art is my passion I guess and art is my healing thing, too 🤩 I’m proud of you, if you read all this! Enjoy 🫶 

My personal ALT text mission (1 additional ALT text for a previous artwork with each new art posting!):

Captain Gregor's faces part 1 one of my oldest clone drawings, what an improving process since then, I barely can't believe it 🤩

Taglist: @eclec-tech @bixlasagna @returnofthepineapple @sunshinesdaydream @covert1ntrovert @general-ida-raven @vrycurious @dystopicjumpsuit @chaicilatte @groguandthebadbatch @justanotherdikutsimp @ladylucksrogue

[keepthetension]

this was made especially for those of us who cut ties with our shitty families, huh

i cried so much this whole episode. i know that i can't be in that house and be who i am at the same time, but the guilt and shame never really go away. i love that this episode said, wholeheartedly: fuck what society says, you should be wherever allows you to be happiest

anyway! you always hear that family estrangement is rare in asian communities, but i did it! and you can do it, too! dump your shitty family! i believe in you~

[winepresswrath]

what louis did to lestat and what louis did to armand are connected and that's important to the story but also. it is simply not the same. nothing louis did excuses armand's behaviour, that's not how anything works, but he did not "cross a line" or "poke at armand," he weaponized armand's history of abuse to belittle and demean him. nothing armand said to louis came close- the equivalent would have been "oooh, i'm such a stupid bitch that my husband can beat me half to death and i'll keep crawling back for more even when it endangers my daughter!" it's retraumatizing and deeply destabilizing to hear that shit from your partner. and in response armand should have been like "well this man sucks when he's high and he's high all the time, so i'm bouncing" but if he'd done that we wouldn't have a story, would we?

edit: i've come back to give armand credit for "claudia didn't love you like we did/do. ps. u used her to distract from your own hurt feelings" that shit does hit in a similar way. however "the ways someone hurt you have left you contemptible and weak. they scrawled 'dirty and annoying' all over your soul in red ink and it's never coming off" is just outstanding work. timeless

[rarepairronpa]

Here to chime in why I personally like Komamiki too!

I think I'm in the minority here, because I didn't start shipping this ship by seeing art or fanfiction for it; I started shipping it while playing the game, way back in 2015. In fact, I can pinpoint the exact moment I fell in love with the ship- Mikan's very first introduction! "We'll wait forever if that's what it takes," Nagito said with infinite patience for our poor little nurse, and from that moment I was sold! He even defended her from Hajime (even if that was unnecessary because Hajime wasn't actually bullying her) which is something we don't see a lot in the series (Mikan being defended from bullies). In fact, the only people I can remember off of the top of my head that do this other than Nagito is Imposter (scolding/redirecting Hiyoko), Peko (scolding/redirecting both Hiyoko and Fuyuhiko iirc), Akane (defending her at the trial from what Akane perceived as bullying - though in this case wasn't), and Mahiru (scolding Ibuki when she wanted her to take pictures of Mikan in a compromising position). I want to say Hajime did some mild defending here and there too, but I can't think of a specific instance. And that's about it. (There might be more instances in DR3, but I don't have that anywhere near memorized so I can't remember off hand.) She doesn't have a lot of people going to bat for her, so any inclination to defend her is something I'm going to zoom in on.

(Nagito in general seems to defend the girls a lot, which I appreciate- specifically from Teruteru. Which is why when people portray him as a creep, I can't get behind it at all. He's definitely portrayed in a fan service-y way, especially in Another Episode, but in SDR2 he constantly defends the girls from Teruteru's advances. Being sexual does not automatically equal being a creep, and I think at times there's this weird purity culture in how some people portray Nagito. Yes, I admit, his obsession with Ultimate's is maladaptive and I wouldn't deny an interpretation that there's messy, sexual feelings tied up in that obsession, but it's also a trauma response and at no point does he push for his "love" to be anything but "wholly one sided". He actually says exactly that in trial one. He grosses people out, sure, but I don't think he's actively doing something wrong in that sense; again, it's a maladaptive coping mechanism and more a result of his trauma than anything, and he never tries to enforce any overtly sexual feelings onto others. Being weirded out by the fetish-y way Nagito precieves the Ultimate's is perfectly understandable for the characters in universe, but I don't think Nagito is a creep for feelings he never pushes onto others. Now, he will push his ideology onto others, but that's a seperate matter.)

In this first interaction with Mikan, we see Nagito be patient and kind to her. We see him defend her. We see him trying to meet her where she's at. That's what got me hooked on this ship, and all the little interactions they had just kept me going.

For example, Mikan is the one to defend Nagito in trial one; this is because she doesn't want to die/doesn't want everyone else to die, but I think it says something that she was able to look past Nagito's "I'm crazy and evil" routine/facade and actually consider the evidence. Something that only Hajime and Chiaki have been shown to be willing to do (both in chapter 1 and in chapter 5). Everyone else dismisses Nagito as "crazy" and doesn't even try to understand him from there.

Then there's how Mikan is one of the only ones to care that Nagito is sick in chapter 3. She outright says that she will do everything she can for him, lamenting the fact that he's in this situation. She shows real care for him there- or at least, more care than most of the other characters. Hajime and Mikan very much seem to be the only ones overtly concerned about Nagito (and maybe Chiaki? She kind of just seemed worried for everyone, which is more than a lot of the characters again, but only Hajime and Mikan expressed specific concern for Nagito).

We even have Nagito talking about a hypothetical scenario of falling in love with a nurse in his FTEs. Sure, his FTEs are definitely very Komahina coded (especially that last confession one), but who are you going to think of in this game when Nagito says nurse if not the Ultimate one?

(There's also the fact that they're both outcasted by the group to different extents, and they both self deprecate in different ways and want to feel useful/needed whoch plays really well on each other. Their struggles come from similar places, which is also the appeal, at least for me, with Komahina, too.)

But then we get to trial 3. Which was my personal Armageddon when I first played, as Mikan was my favorite character, and I was already shipping komamiki by that point. This is where I have to admit, I understand the "Nagito and Mikan are worsties" agenda. As it is one I would say I'm even a fan of. What we see in trial 3 is nastiness between the two of them, and, imo, gives a real sense of what they were like in despair.

But since when does a ship having a dark side mean it's inherently a bad ship? For one thing, exploring the more messed up dynamic can be fun and interesting. I think part of why Nagito was so cold to Mikan is because, deep in his heart, he truly expected better from her. And I think Mikan responded to that with nastiness because it felt like a rejection. That nastiness isn't indicative of them having not cared about each other, but the opposite; where they both cared and then felt betrayed by that care.

I think exploring this mix of hate and fondness can be super interesting! In my view, Mikan and Nagito are more frienemies than enemies, even at their worst. I get the real sense that Mikan resented how accepting Nagito was, when he was in the same situation as her- both not being accepted/"forgiven". Add Junko into the mix, and you got toxic pettiness and jealousy abound. That's what Junko does, you know? Turn you against each other, isolate you, make you fight over her attention, have you only be united in the fact that you both worship her. That's how she functions.

Then, for Nagito's side... deep down he's always resented talent, as we know from 2.5. He's always been desperately coping with his luck, his talentlessness aside from that luck, and the extreme despair he's experienced from both of those things. He's been conditioned in a society that views him as lesser- just like Hajime, for that matter. But deep down, he truly resents talent. Having the Ultimates, who he was always told by society were so much better than him, who he believed were so much better than him, fall to despair? That would mess him up.

Because again- he expected better from them. And from, specifically, Mikan. The first person to betray his ideals of hope and talent. A part of him will be forever changed by her betrayal. Because how can you keep faith that talent is hope when the very talent around you fell into despair?

(There's also the dynamic of Nagito being chronically ill and Mikan being a nurse who specifically likes power over people. I do see how that could get toxic in the right environment; which again, can be an interesting angle to explore, honestly. I could see a universe where Mikan is attracted to Nagito specifically because he's sick and needs her. Especially if he was her actual patient, which adds even more power dynamic to the whole thing. Both Nagito and Mikan have control issues and those issues can be shaken until the whole bottle pops.)

But all of these problems, post canon? You know what they are? An interesting conflict. Working through these problems post canon is just as interesting as exacerbating them in despair. There's a dark side to this relationship, but that's okay, because with effort and time, those cracks and hurts can heal. The whole theme of SDR2 is redemption! Second chances! And that's true for these two, too. And I think it can be true for their relationship.

I do think with proper care and consideration, these problems can be solved and healed from, and a truly sweet relationship can blossom.

I think komamiki in general is an interesting ship. One that can be healthy or toxic depending on the situation/circumstances of it, but in a way that only makes them more fascinating to consider for me. Fluffy dynamics are cute! But what really draws me to a ship is when you can have variety. When different characterization in different situations can vastly change how the ship plays out. I like the option to choose, to explore those different dynamics, all the ways things could have gone. And that's what komamiki gives me! For a while, it was my favorite DR ship, and though it's been beaten out by others now, it still holds a special place in my heart.

Hii so I’m new here and haven’t touched danganronpa in years, so I’m just curious as to what got you into komamiki? My mind is blown whenever I see a ship that’s not implied in canon, so seeing your art was like woah!!!! And I just like getting people to infodump about stuff they love 💕

Thanks a lot for the question, anon! This is gonna be a long post, be prepared

In fact, I remember very poorly the moment when I got involved in this pairing. As I understand it, I saw one piece of art and just fell in love with this couple? That is, my brain clicked and was like, "Listen, I like it, there's something in this!"

If you still asking "why" I liked this pairing, then the main reason is an interesting dynamic. Yes, yes, komamiki haters, I know about the ending of the third trial and that these two "hate each other" (as they usually write). But... Isn't there a special charm in this? Has the path from hate to love stopped being a thing? I mean, at the end of the trial, it was shown how well Mikan caught Nagito's weakness. She could have left him speechless with a precise phrase. She understood Nagito.

Isn't there some spice in the fact that you are best understood by the person you dislike now? And everyone you admire didn't even try to understand you?? (yes, Hajime tried in free-time events. I know, I don't deny it. Just for now we are talking about the main plot).

Of course, I can think too much like any other fan of any other pairing. But this dynamic is driving me crazy!

It gives me pleasure to reflect on how difficult it would be for komamiki to restore a neutral relationship to begin with after the events of the game. And it's going to be difficult, as it's going to be difficult for all the killers and victims to talk about what happened, you know? And the difficulties are ✨interesting✨.

What I also like about komamiki is that they are two broken people who can understand each other. They both need psychological (and not only) help, okay?? But in this path of recovery, they can become each other's support.

Mikan is emotional, reads the general atmosphere and someone else's mood very easily, worries a lot. Nagito is actually more detached and calm (unless we're talking about hope-). He knows how to show the emotions needed at the moment, but he does not always read the general atmosphere (and does not always consider it necessary, he is on his own mind). In total, we have two broken people, one is very emotional and reads people well, and the second is calm, which adjusts to the mood of people. And both have low self-esteem and are very, let's call it, helpful. "I will do anything, just don't hate me!" and "I will do everything to become your stepping stone to hope!"

At the same time, they can learn a lot from each other and take care of each other. Mikan, of course, as a nurse. I like to think too much that she put all her strength into Nagito's life after him waking up from the New World Program. Komaeda, in turn, is sharp-tongued, and can protect his emotional girlfriend from unwanted comments verbally. He also knows how to express admiration, I think such words won't hurt Mikan. Tsumiki can also express in words and actions the importance of Nagito's life to her. Uh, a mutual aid circle??

Will such a relationship be difficult? OF COURSE, absolutely. But do you really think that any relationship does not involve difficulties? Including healthy relationships, which are being talked about a lot now? Like, guys, psychologists identify the crisis stages that ANY married couple goes through. The question is not what kind of problems are in the relationship, but how they will be solved. But I got off the subject.

If I think again about the post-canon, then I am hooked by the idea that the Class 77 will become the world's enemy. Not without reason, let's be honest. But, you see, there is no one left in their world who would accept them, except classmates (no, Makoto, don't look at me like that-). "In this world, we only have each other." Isn't this a bit dramatic, tragic and romantic?! (tragic for the most part, but we love it here)

Uh, I think this post is already quite long, it's worth taking stock. I love komamiki, I see an interesting, complex dynamic between them. Most of the time I draw them cute, gentle, romantic, well, because I like to draw them like that. I'm interested in thinking about their relationship, but drawing all sorts of cute things gives me peace of mind. Thanks again for the question, anon! It's always a joy to talk about your favorite couple^^

[sskk-manifesto]

Finally got around to watching ep 11 (´；ω；｀)

[bumblingbabooshka]

-Remembers how T’Pring looked as she watched Spock & Chapel vanish into the bathroom together after seeing them kiss on the bridge (which she knew was for a mission and didn’t hold against them but perhaps she could sense something there since they do have feelings for one another), maybe attempting to calm herself and her suspicions as she’s left alone again (and later finds she’s been left out entirely this whole time) and how she doesn’t know that Spock almost told Chapel he loved her then and there, with T’Pring in the other room waiting, and how Amanda and Sevet both think she could have more confidence in herself and how T’Pring thought that she and Spock were in this together (her holding his hand, subtly letting him know to pour slower so the tea flowers would bloom correctly, a whispered ‘well done’, the ritual is over mother) and how mere hours after she expresses to Spock how she feels: Like he doesn’t trust her, like he doesn’t care to include her in his life, how she’s trying her best to show him that she will accept him wholly, how she wants to be his partner instead of an adversary or an obstacle, after all this he’s found Chapel within the hour and is kissing her.-

[calebs-hangout-corner]

Thinking about Brooke again

[siena-sevenwits]

Disclaimer: These thoughts are more emotionally than logically expressed, and reflect my own experience and preference.

[t-u-i-t-c]

chapter xliv

[illogicalvulcans]

y'know i think i prefer when showrunners have an ending in mind to work towards and/or at least a general plan for the show they're making actually. idk maybe I'M the weird one for liking story cohesion between seasons in the shows i watch