#maybe i should flesh it out and post that analysis

[phyneire]

I dont thunk its unintentional that the first human to turn hilichurl is referred to as a caterpillar, Cater also takes on the moniker of "Chrysalis of the Phantasmic Moth." After assimilating into the Ordo.

[im-smart-i-swear]

can you remember being born? were you born at all

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

My problem with Sallie May—a discussion of representation:

There’s been some discourse around Sallie May lately that’s gotten me thinking more about her. Not really as a character, but what her purpose is in the narrative and how she’s treated by the fandom and the show’s creators.

Sallie May is an interesting case study in representation without depth, and I wanted to talk a little more about what that means.

OPINION DISCLAIMER—I’m gonna be talking about how I personally view lgbtq+ and queer representation and what I consider to be well-rounded representation vs. empty or shallow representation.

Also. I am only one member of the queer community—I don’t speak for all lgbtq+ people, and I am DEFINITELY NOT trying to talk over other’s experiences. My opinions are my own, and if you agree with me, cool! And if you don’t agree with me, that’s great too!!

Also also. I don’t think I should have to say this but, this is NOT a personal attack on ANYONE involved w/i the production and creation of Helluva Boss. This is my own analysis, b/c I like to talk about media and the ways we interact with and interpret it.

So, with all of that out of the way, if you’re interested in my analysis, let’s talk about Sallie May!! (TLDR @ end of post)

First do want to make it clear that my issue is not actually with her like…existing. Or with her general characterization. Mostly because, even with Hell’s Belles, she still doesn’t really have a very strong characterization to begin with, and isn’t a fully-fleshed out character.

In her initial appearance she was a bit-character, bordering on just being a straight up background character. She had three lines in her debut (and to date, ONLY) appearance in the show proper.

Until Hell’s Belles we knew next to nothing about her other than that she likes violence and also that she has a neighborhood body count? Which. I don’t know if they were trying to imply that she’s a serial killer, I doubt that was the intent. Or maybe they were. I can’t know.

Regardless, I honestly believe they didn’t really think the implications of that writing decision through at all. There’s a very real and very harmful “trans serial killer/murderer” trope in media, and while the impact is definitely lessened by the vast majority of HB characters being violent murderers—it still feels weird having the only trans character we’ve seen at this point be literally INTRODUCED to the audience by the fact that she’s a murderer, and to then be given NO further information on her.

Luckily, we DID get more information about Sallie, even if it was still very little and surface level. In Hell’s Belles we learn that Sallie May and Millie used to be a lot closer, and that Sallie May felt left behind when Millie moved to the big city.

In the short, Sallie May expresses her frustration with having to pick up the slack around their family’s ranch, and that she’s been lonely without Millie there. Millie and Sally have a little heart to heart and are able to make up, and the short ends.

This is a nice little piece of backstory, and does give us slightly more insight into Sallie May and what her life is like, but because the episode is a short, we still really don’t get to know her as a person.

Like Millie, Sallie May doesn’t have any real depth. We only know starter information about her, like that she cares about her family, and that she’s violent.

But unlike Millie, Sallie May is a minor character. She has (at the time of my writing this) appeared in ONE episode of the actual show, and one short. She is a minor character, and the ONLY transgender character in the show with a name and lines.

So. Okay. Why does literally any of that matter??? Who cares if Sallie May is an under-developed minor background character??

Well, in my opinion, it matters because the show-runners frame and treat Sallie May as if she is a main character, without actually writing her—or any trans character for that matter—as a main character.

This really rubs me the wrong way, because it comes across as tokenism.

In my opinion since she was introduced, Sallie May has become a token transgender character—an excuse for the HB writers to not write or develop more transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse characters and stories, because they already have one.

I worry that, if anyone rightfully points out that HB is severely lacking in gender-diverse characters and storylines, the creators and fandom will point to Sallie May as “proof” that they do have representation.

If HB is as radically queer and LGBTQ+ friendly as it claims to be, why do we only have ONE named trans character in the show’s 5 years of existence?

Due to all of the above, I find I can’t agree with people who praise the show for its representation, because of how stunted it is. I just don’t think I, or anyone, should have to read sources outside of the narrative to learn important parts of a character’s identity.

I feel this very deeply as a lesbian and nonbinary person—I understand that most of the women characters in Helluva Boss are sapphic, but I ONLY know that because of the HB Pride Print that came out just this year. I have not actually gotten to SEE any of these character’s sexualities fully represented, and it’s because of this that I struggle to see myself represented in HB in any way.

I do need to clarify that what I am NOT SAYING is that no one can feel represented by Sallie May, or that if they do, they’ve been tricked somehow by writers into thinking they got more representation than they actually did.

Sallie May is a very popular character, and because of that I honestly would like to see more of her. I want to see more of her because she’s the only trans character on the show, and I want her to be properly developed.

I talked previously about how I enjoyed Hell’s Belles, but wished we had gotten to see more of Sallie and Millie’s relationship in the actual show. Their relationship has a lot of potential to show the unique ways in which siblings interact and navigate conflict, but we only got to see a few seconds of them interacting in Sallie’s debut. The short gives us an idea of what Sallie’s personality is like, but it’s so brief that I still don’t feel like we really KNOW her on a deeper level.

To me, three lines + one short with a brief backstory doesn’t feel like the sort of amazing representation that fans of the show laud Helluva Boss for.

As a series that often boasts about its queer and trans rep and inclusivity, I can’t help but feel like Sallie May should either have been a main character from the very beginning, or that she shouldn’t have been trotted out like some sort of bastion of trans representation, when the only indication she is trans is her horns/white roots.

And yes. As a genderqueer gay I KNOW that it can be extremely tiring to have all of our stories revolve around our struggles and ONLY be about being LGBTQ+. I also want to see a variety of stories about queer people like me going on adventures and getting to do things that don’t revolve around our struggles. But I also want to still actually see myself represented.

Not just know outside the story that, “oh that character is nonbinary, but it will not be mentioned in the narrative in any way and will not ever be important in the context of this character I’m supposed to see myself in.”

Madeline Maye talked about this specifically in her critique of Helluva Boss, and her pointing this out was kind of what made me realize that, yeah. Anyone watching Helluva Boss for the first time would probably have NO IDEA that Sallie Mae is a transgender woman.

It also made me realize that the only reason I knew that Sallie May was trans was because her VA, Morgana Ignis, who is also a trans woman, tweeted about it, and the official Helluva Boss Twitter retweeted it.

The original tweet is hidden now (Ignis has since left Twitter—idk why, I genuinely hope it wasn’t due to harassment—that’s never okay) but I was able to confirm that this was the case based on the HB wiki, and the official HB’s retweet still being up:

The only confirmation we’ve ever had that Sallie May is transgender has been outside of the show—either from social media Q&As and the show’s wiki or merch—

Sallie May has a LOT of merch. Like a lot, this isn’t even all of it. And yes, SOME of the merch is from the recently released “Hell’s Belles” short, but the vast majority of it is from the 3 years since her initial introduction.

The vast majority of it is also highly sexualized, and highlights Sallie’s penis through her swimsuit. Now, I’m aware that Morgana Ignis requested this, and I honestly don’t have too much of an opinion on it. I’m not a trans woman, and I’ve seen multiple opinions from trans women on this design choice for Sally’s merch. I’ve seen some trans women say that they liked and felt represented by this choice, and some say that they felt objectified and that it made them dysphoric. This is one of those situations where I don’t think everyone can be pleased—like I said at the beginning of this post, LGBTQ+ people are as diverse in their opinions as we are in our identities and self-expression, and I think everyone’s feelings regarding Sallie’s portrayals in the merch are valid.

I bring it up because, other than the wiki explaining that Sallie May has “male horns”, this is the only other way to confirm that Sally is trans, as it is never acknowledged in the story. I bring it up because I don’t think merch should be the only way an LGBTQ character’s identity is validated.

I assume that all of Sallie Mae’s merch is because of her popularity, but I also can’t help but wonder if this has contributed to the impression that Sallie is a main character, when, in the narrative so far, she is still a minor one.

I don’t believe that when she was originally created to be a “token trans” character, but since her introduction, there have not been any main characters that are transgender, nonbinary, or genderqueer.

We’ve only had one other trans character with a speaking role—this imp:

Who is FTM. He seems to know Blitz from a while back, and talks Blitz into staying at the party. Then he watches him drunkenly make out with random people with another (I assume) trans imp who is probably MTF:

(Also—as an aside, this scene kinda bothers me?? I don’t THINK this was the intention at all, but having a VERY CLEARLY drunk off of his ass Blitz, who can’t meaningfully consent at this time, being watched, and almost like…leered at by two of the only visibly trans characters in the show…it feels gross. Like why are two of the only other confirmed trans characters voyeuristically watching a drunk man who can’t consent making out? It would be one thing if we had a story full of different trans characters who acted in all sorts of different ways, but at this time these two are 2/3rds of the show’s ENTIRE trans rep. With the other 1/3rd being introduced to us as a serial killer. Like. Guys. What is it that you’re trying to say?)

Apparently Sallie May’s VA has stated the below on Social Media, and stated that there’s a lot more coming for Sallie May in the future. And that’s great!!! I really really want to believe that.

But I look at the above and can’t help but wonder…if this is the case, why did it take three years for her to get another appearance? In just a short? Why wasn’t she given more focus and importance from the very beginning, in her introductory episode? If her original appearance wasn’t representative of her and Millie’s relationship then why did they even write it that way???

I want to believe all of the above—that Sallie May actually WILL get to become a main character. But I look at the way she’s been barely portrayed, and the way that she’s basically been used to just sell merch, and it makes me sad.

I would love to see more of her, more of any trans characters that aren’t 2 second background characters, but I honestly have a hard time believing we ever will when the episodes take as long as the do to come out, and the when the episodes focus so heavily on shipping pre-existing pairings.

As a lesbian, I would love to see Sallie May get a girlfriend, but given Spindlehorse’s track record with lackluster sapphic pairings and representation, I don’t have much hope of seeing that either.

I just. If you managed to get all the way through this heinously long post, thank you for reading. If you didn’t, that’s very fair (lol) and I’ve got the tldr for you here—

TLDR:

—My issue with Sallie May is not actually with Sallie May at all. It’s with the fact that we don’t get enough of Sallie May, or any trans characters, for that matter.

—You can, of course, feel represented by any character, but I think it’s important to ask yourself how you are being represented, and if you are actually being represented.

—Not every queer/trans/lgbt story has to explicitly be about being queer. The stories in which we are represented should be as diverse and vibrant as all the members of our community. But, I still want to actually be able to tell and to see that the characters are lgbtq+. If a character is a lesbian or sapphic, I want to see her show an interest in other women. If a character is transgender I want to see that acknowledged by the narrative, whether it’s the character mentioning their transition or just saying they’re trans. I want to SEE myself and other queer identities. Not just know that they’re there.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

I saw one au where Metal Sonic's creation had him believing he was Sonic (because he was quite literally created with Sonic's memories and bio data), so he thought initially that the "real" Sonic was an imposter implanted by Eggman and that Eggman had turned him into a robot that couldn't speak

And I must admit it changed my brain chemistry because I periodically think about it

Today, though, it's for Mettails thoughts because I think Metal who has all of Sonic’s memories prior to creation would have thoughts about the "imposter" taking not only his friends, but his little buddy.

Can't Tails see that it's him? Maybe he can't speak anymore, maybe he's not flesh and blood, maybe he carries all the marks of an Eggman robot, but he doesn't want to hurt his little buddy. It's the "imposter" he has beef with, but with Tails, is there any way to get him to take the hint?

And then Metal Sonic grappling over the truth, learning that he's the copy, the imposter, and that Eggman created him. Does this mean his feelings are fake? What does he do with this? Aside from following Eggman's orders (which he has no choice but to do), does he not have a purpose? What's the point of fighting when to fight the real thing's friends and little buddy just hurts?

And yet, he doesn't want to go away. He doesn't want to just blindly follow Eggman, but he can't leave the empire even if he wanted. His fabricated memories and feelings compel him to seek adventure, to help his friends, to be around Tails—all things he cannot have.

So, for a time, he's at a standstill. He puts his passion and frustration into fighting and racing the real thing, he follows Eggman's orders, enacting loopholes where he can (largely to avoid hurting those he feels Sonic's feelings towards).

Does he lean into it? Does he accept these feelings and how they compel him? Does he follow Eggman's orders and put his all into finding loopholes to aiding and protecting Tails and the others under the radar? Does he decide to become better than the real thing—become the new him? Does he try to take his place in a naive attempt to claim the position from his fake memories? Or, does he reject it all outright? Does he try to beat Sonic to distance himself from him? Does he go all in on becoming different? Or does he go further, distancing himself not just to beat or surpass the real thing, but to go his own path? Does he abandon these fabricated feelings and memories altogether?

I don't see Tails caring all that much for Metal Sonic beyond picking the robot apart to analyze Eggman's more impressive tech, much less understanding why Sonic would want to give him a chance at freedom or would revive him once they've deactivated and damaged him (this is a reference to the early idw chapters post the neo metal return arc). But what if, by chance, Tails and Metal end up locked in a predicament together.

They're far away from anyone else, in a place neither of them know of. Perhaps, after an ordeal, a fight, the two wake up in a cave.

Tails wakes up in pain and exhausted. His anxiety spikes the moment he sees Metal Sonic, already preparing to defend himself

But Metal (who'd gotten up before him, clearly damaged) just prods at the fire he'd set so Tails wouldn't be cold as he slept. Rather than move to lift a metal finger against Tails, he lets out a short round of alarmed beeps, motions for Tails to sit down

Tails doesn't trust Metal outright of course, but after a bit of time (and analysis of his situation), he realizes how Metal is taking care of him. He's wary of making Metal fully operational (not that he really can without spare parts, but that's besides the point), but he begins to tentatively trust him. Perhaps, as they start out isolated, the two work together to get to safety and to figure out the gravity of their situation

And once the two are back to their respective sides and they get the chance to heal and rest, Tails can't shake that feeling of kinship that should have been temporary. In this moment, he feels that he may understand why Sonic would want to give Metal Sonic a chance at all (beyond the obvious reasons Sonic would still want a robot that can match him to stay active). However, Metal Sonic's display of care and protectiveness towards him bewilders him a bit. Because...it must be genuine, right? But what does it mean?

And Metal, meanwhile, feels bitterness and hope all at once. Maybe, after this event, he decides he will lean into those feelings where he can. His memories and feelings were all fabricated, fake, copies, but this decision is the only thing he has control over.

Maybe Metal decides (like replica riku in chain of memories) that he doesn’t care if his old memories and feelings are fake?

He can never be the real flesh and blood Sonic, but he can be himself. He can be a better Sonic (and one day, he will wrest control of his own life back) by doing what he can where he's at, taking a path that is not the one of the hero (because Metal Sonic doesn't need heroism or cheap praise). And, whether these feelings are fake or not, he'll keep those friends of Sonic's alive no matter what.

And, perhaps, by the time his plans turn to world domination in Eggman's place, keeping his creator and controller from having any power over him, he hopes that Sonic’s friends will accept their place in the world that he creates (he wants them to live happily of course), and he hopes that Tails will take that offered place at his side. Metal would prove that the real thing was inferior and weak, but he could "fix" the world into one in which he and Tails and the others can live and enjoy.

...

Sorry kinda went off for a minute there

I just think it would be interesting to cross Metal Sonic's creation with that au idea that person made that has me in a chokehold with Replica Riku KH and with some canon metal/idw metal happenings. Also I'm rotating Overlord Neo Metal trying to convince Tails to rule with him (and trying to convince himself that he can convince Tails to do it if he just proves himself the right way. Starline style if you know what I mean) in my brain. Metal who has Sonic's memories and feelings choosing to keep and lean into Sonic's attachment to Tails

[emeryhiro]

Do you think Carol would have continued to stay with Ezekiel had Henry not died? For me, Carol's married era in the Kingdom is a conundrum - because on the one hand, I love that she got to experience some peace and happiness after being put through the wringer both emotionally and mentally. I love that she was able to save Henry and at least partly come to peace with the fact that she was able to find and save this kid - when she has lost so many in the past (which makes it all the more heartbreaking she has go through all of that again in s10 - I love s10 but it so emotionally hard to watch as a Carol fan). But - in the second half of s9 whenever Carol is shown in the Kingdom, it feels a little wrong - like maybe she doesn't belong. She is smiling so widely and brightly - and it is so great to see her lighthearted - but something somewhere just feels off. Even her appearance - her clothes - they don't feel like her. I can't quite pinpoint it. Or I could be just looking at it through shipper goggles. Lol.

I absolutely adore your narrative breakdowns of these two. I don't have much hope for Caryl in TBOC but I am definitely looking forward to your analysis of the episodes to come.

Hi Anon 😊

Thank you so much for the kind words! They truly mean so much to me 🩵🩵🩵

I already have my thoughts/breakdown of TBOC episode 1 written up, which should be posted as soon as episode 1 is released to everyone. I honestly can't wait for everyone to see it and get everyone's thoughts on it as well.

Now, regarding your question...

This is such a good question, and I really had to think about it for a bit to be able to express my thoughts properly.

The short answer is yes, but ultimately, no. I think Carol would have stayed with Ezekiel if Henry had lived, at least for as long as they were in a good place. I know that seems like a cop-out of an answer, but I'll flesh it out a little bit.

Carol was happy enough with Ezekiel, and she would have probably continued to be with him until their situation changed and they had to go through some form of hardship as they naturally would've at some point or another in an apocalypse. Even if it wasn't for losing Henry, there would have been something else that would have pulled them apart because despite them being happy enough, their relationship lacked the depth to withstand severe adversity. They loved each other, but they weren't IN love, if you know what I mean.

If by some miracle they didn't face any hardship of any kind, then yep they probably would stay together for two main reasons (and trust me, this hurts my Caryl shipper heart to say):

Loyalty/Convenience: As we've seen, Carol is an incredibly loyal person. We don't know Ezekiel as well as we know Carol, but from what I could tell, he seems to be a very loyal person as well.

Trauma/Sacrifice: The only person that Carol would hypothetically leave Ezekiel for would be Daryl. But both Carol and Daryl have experienced way too much trauma to actually come clean about their feelings, not unless something huge happened to push them to do so. Daryl would never ever think he's good enough for Carol, or that he could make her happy compared to how Ezekiel appeared to make her. And Carol would feel the exact same way about Daryl, and she'd also be content with (as you said) the peace and happiness of staying with Ezekiel because she would never think she deserved anything better than that.

Ultimately, the perfect circumstances that would have kept Carol and Ezekiel together are near impossible in the world they live in. Starting a family with Ezekiel and Henry definitely helped Carol heal from some of her past trauma with Ed and Sofia, but ultimately the deeper traumas and wounds that she had yet to face and heal from (as she will in TBOC) would have never healed if she stayed with Ezekiel. They would have eventually been naturally pulled apart because neither is made for the other.

I also think that Carol always sensed/knew that her relationship with Ezekiel had an expiration date, and she had probably prepared for that inevitable end from the start of the relationship, while Ezekiel on the other hand, was less willing to accept that their relationship was at its end when Carol tried to return the ring in S9EP16.

Regarding Caryl...

I honestly don't blame you for not having much hope for Caryl, especially with all the mixed messages being sent around with the current publicity campaign. And I'm not sure if this will mean anything or change anything for you, but I'm personally still confident that canon is where we're heading. And as I've said in my previous posts, especially in the summary section of my last one (here), it makes sense (at least to me) for them to wait until season 3 to finally make Caryl officially canon.

I'm just gonna fangirl here for a second, but I believe (since the first time I saw them 12 years ago) that Carol and Daryl are soulmates, and I don't just mean platonic soulmates, but soulmates in every sense of the word. So, in my mind, based on all the evidence I've seen, one way or another, they will be together in the end. But like I said, that's in my mind. The final outcome for Caryl depends on Norman and Melissa's vision for the characters, which I understand may not align with mine, but I trust that no matter what they end up giving us, it's still gonna be a fantastic story ♡

~~~~

Thank you again for the really interesting question ♡♡♡ I hope my answer made sense and got my thoughts across properly.

I can't explain how excited I am about TBOC and seeing Carol and Daryl in the same frame again. ONLY 19 DAYS TO GO!! 🥰🎉

[thunderstomm]

I think you should write that analysis about Dev and Heath.

Thanks for the ask!

You're referring to the analysis I referenced wanting to write over on my twitter, i assume! I'm surprised people actually want to hear my thoughts in regards to this, especially considering how small the target audience for it would be (people who have watched both shows).

I do actually have an outline and some dot points written down regarding my thoughts, so maybe I'll flesh them out and post it on here in the future!

[twopoppies]

hello! About the post on Harry and the trans-flares... I've been a fan of Harry's for so long, and the idea of him showing us (in ways that he can) who he really is, is incredible to me, as I feel now I can see a peek of who this precious person is, and can support his true, authentic self... However, I'm struggling to understand how best to do that; basically, I'm asking if you or anyone else can help me with resources about trans-flares or Harry (maybe) being trans, what that entails, what sort of signs/indications to look out for, and how to support him... This is not the most fleshed-out ask, but I just wanted to quickly pen out how... healed I feel at the possibility that Harry is telling us who he is, and we can support him for who he is authentically as well... thank you!

Hi, darling. I’m not sure what trans-flares means. It’s a term I’m not familiar with. But you can look through my HARRY’S GENDER tag. I’ve got a lot in there. I linked it so you can look through it in chronological order. FINE LINE VISUALS might be helpful, too. There are also some tags about specific songs that might be interesting like SHE SONG ANALYSIS and FINE LINE SONG ANALYSIS and LITTLE FREAK SONG ANALYSIS and LIGHTS UP SONG ANALYSIS

There are probably some other tags you’ll find while looking through those, but I think that should give you a good start.

Fine Line, the album, is such a masterpiece and opening yourself up to the idea that so much of it is connected to his gender identity and gender expression makes everything about the album so much bigger. I’m honestly so in awe that he shared so much of himself with us.

[agenericplaceholdername]

2024 Masterpost

With the start of 2025, I thought I’d compile some of my posts from 2024.

Theories

Why Jay and Nya Can Remember Skybound

Wu and Morro and the Allied Armor, oh my!

Frak's Pies and the Crystalized->Merge Time Jump

Without the Blood Moon, Ras Would Have Succeeded

Mistress Obscuria, Elemental Heritability, and the Ninjago Timeline

Long-ish Posts

This back and forth with @parachutingkitten outlines most of my thoughts on Dragons Rising S1-S2

The Five Endings of Ninjago

How Dragons Rising Handles the Ensemble

DRS2 v Dreamzzz YouTube Views

Were the Sacred Flutes Created During the Serpentine War?

Where did the Serpentine Come From?

The Tournament of Elements vs The Tournament of Sources

What Does "Shattering Goodness" Mean?

Why the FSM Lineage Shouldn’t Be Royalty

Would Kai be Overprotective of Wyldfyre?

DR S1 E1-5, S1 E6-10, S1 E11-15, S1 E16-20, S2 E1-5, and S2 E6-10 Thoughts

Ninjago Ideas Without "Wasted Potential"

Shorter posts

My Issue with "Snaketastrophy" (Harumi)

When Will the Live-Action Movie Release?

Rapton and Lloyd in DRS2E11

The Missing Moon

Wu's Growth from S1 to S15

Other

Election Night in Ninjago

Dinner at the Monastery

Video edits (the ones I'm most proud of)

Arin and the Ninja

Arin and the Ninja (ft. "Elements of Betrayal")

Sora and Jordana

"The Fall of the Green Ninja"

"Princess" Vania

For the new year, I’ve got several longer analysis/criticism posts that I’ve been sitting on for some time, outlining how the Ice Chapter and Crystalized fail to live up to the ideas they set up, but also some of my potential changes. This is well trodden fandom ground, but I haven’t seen anyone suggesting what I’ve been thinking. Maybe I’ll finally finish those. 

Also looking at an analysis of Skybound (again, well covered) that covers a specific angle I also haven’t seen anyone discuss in depth (though considering how much discussion of Skybound exists, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone had). 

Before DR S3P1 airs I’ll post my thoughts on DRS2P2, both episode by episode and an analysis of how S4 handles its mysteries better. Probably do some DRS3 predictions before the whole season gets leaked.

Last, I’m thinking about building on my “Election Night” post with a full deep dive into my (as canon-compliant as possible) look into what Ninjago politics might look like. Worldbuilding in Ninjago tends more toward fleshing out ancient lore, but I think the average citizen’s perspective to the events of the show is cool to think about. 

Will I get all this stuff done? Probably not, this list is more of a way to set goals. A lot of my earlier posts were clips with some of my own analysis. Those aren't gonna be gone but I'm definitely cutting back on them, mainly because I only have so many ideas. A new post a day with an accompanying video just wasn't sustainable. But if you’re interested in longer-form Ninjago analysis, feel free to follow and at some point it should show up in your feed! 

Here's some other stuff:

Favorite Ninja: Zane from S1-4, Lloyd from S8-present. 

Favorite Seasons: I’m a big fan of S1, S4, S8, S9, S14, and DRS1. Don’t think these are particularly hot takes. If I had to pick I’d go with S8 but could be persuaded otherwise

Started watching: Back in 2012 as S2 was airing

That’s all I’ve got! If you ever see a post of mine and disagree, please (constructively!) do so—would always welcome a dialogue. (and ofc if you agree or just like the post, feel free to like it or reblog or whatever is most comfortable.) I'm still fairly new to this site but this whole experience has been great.

[ilovedthestars]

OC-Tober Day 4: Under-Appreciated OC

I talk a lot about my OCs from the Polaris 'verse / underground railroad story. But before I came up with any of them, I wrote a bunch of other half-finished stories about rogue SecUnits. By far the longest of those stories and the most fleshed-out of those characters was Flower.

Flower was a rogue SecUnit that Murderbot and Three met when they came up against it and its owners while on a mission with ART. Flower is a SecUnit whose owners treat it more like a CombatUnit or a Combat Bot—a blunt instrument to use for violence.

Flower does not like killing.

All of my OCs tend to start as alternate versions of Murderbot, in a sense. Murderbot has such a strong personality and such unique motivations as a protagonist, and it often leaves me with the question of "what would a different person have done in this scenario? how would a SecUnit with a different personality or backstory act?" And I tend to answer that question through OCs. Flower is the answer to the question, "What would a SecUnit that chooses not to be violent, no matter what, be like in contrast to Murderbot?"

And because it appeared in a story alongside Murderbot, I really got to explore that contrast and the friction of conflicting values. Murderbot protects its own at all costs, and is perfectly willing to hurt other people who get in the way of that. It takes it a while to understand Flower's perspective, and not treat it as a failure to protect.

(Flower, by the way, named itself after something from its education modules that was delicate and not dangerous.)

Flower's story is mostly abandoned. I learned a lot writing about it that has informed how I write my other OCs, and how I write Murderbot interacting with them, and I'm glad for that even if it may never see the light of AO3. (It may make a cameo in Polaris-verse someday, for my own secret enjoyment.)

But if you're interested, here's a snippet below the cut of the scene where Murderbot and Three first meet Flower. (I first posted it last year as a trick-or-treat.)

The damaged SecUnit on the floor twitched again, and one of its hands moved towards me. I said, “Don’t make me shoot you again.” It prodded at my feed. I let it establish a connection. It sent, Query: Unit Status? That was standard communication, but not something you generally asked the hostile SecUnit that had just pummeled you into near-inoperability. I couldn’t figure out what it was asking for. When I didn’t answer, it pulled Three into our connection and pinged again. Query: Unit Status? Then it sent us its analysis of our actions and communications, which were practically all flagged as anomalous. Three said, Yes, we’re rogue. Oh, so that was what it was asking. It sat there processing Three’s answer for 15 seconds, which was a really long time for something so simple. Maybe it was coming up with tactics based on the new information, but that seemed pretty optimistic when all it could do was lie on the floor leaking. Just when I had decided our conversation was apparently over, the SecUnit pinged us again. Query: Request Assistance I looked at Three. Three looked at me. In our private connection, I said, It’s asking for my hack. Three sent an affirmative. It had come to the same conclusion. What should we do? …It’s already damaged, it’s not like it can try to hurt us. I concur with your assessment, Three said, and dropped my governor module hack into the Unit’s feed. It applied it almost immediately. It shuddered a little and closed its eyes. I figured it was going to be a while before it wanted to talk, so I asked Three, “Now will you help me get up?” Seth pinged us. We’re coming to your location. Three ignored the fact that pretty soon I was going to need to get up and move back to the shuttle and I couldn’t do that myself, at least not without looking utterly ridiculous. It was still focused on the Unit. In our shared feed it said, We can leave you here, or you can come with us. Which do you prefer? This time it answered with its buffer, like it was talking to a client who was asking confusing questions. I do not have that information. It was a bit early to be asking it for things like preferences, but I guess we were doing this. I said, Do you like your clients? Do you like working here? Query: Request Clarification Are they the really bad kind of clients, or the kind that aren’t so bad, or the good kind? Query: Request Clarification of: “the good kind” Yeah, I hadn’t known they existed, either. Three said, Our clients are good clients. They care about our well-being and treat us with respect. It opened its eyes and looked at us. It clearly didn’t believe Three.

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Pokemon And Their Trainers

An in-depth analysis of the Pokemon world and its culture (hereafter referred to as the “Pokeverse.”) Where I’ll attempt to understand just what these beings actually are, and how they relate to the humans of their universe. 

For this post, I will reference the video game lore, but I will, to a large extent, be pulling examples from the anime. While I can understand why this might invalidate my points to some of you, I truly think the anime should be considered fair game. It depicts what the Pokeverse is truly supposed to be like, as the writers intend it to be, unhampered by the restrictions of a video game. 

So here’s the million dollar question. Are Pokemon slaves?

At this point, I know that the Pokemon fandom and the general public have a well-established and largely iron-cast interpretation of what it means to be a Pokemon Trainer, but today I’m going to attempt to challenge that interpretation. Because on the whole, it’s not especially flattering, and I think it’s false. You’ve seen the jokes, and the video essays, and the parody comics. You’ve seen it all. People have criticized Pokemon for the premise of the game effectively being a system of romanticized slavery. That the heartless humans kidnap these innocent animals and force them into sadistic dog-fights to further their own power, to the point where it is a global, televised sport. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you, Pokemon…are slaves. It's animal abuse. Those who argue it are in denial.

The funny thing is, most people don’t argue it. Which is because, to a large extent, most people don’t care. It’s just a video game, right? It’s not as though the Pokemon are outwardly suffering. Pokemon fans seem to just accept this premise and live with it, because the Pokemon world is bright and enjoyable and the formula of the games is simply addicting. To most people, the problematic premise of this universe isn’t a big deal. Nobody takes a passionate stance against it, apart from Gamefreak itself of course. They have little choice but to dismiss these claims, to argue against them…but nobody really listens. The franchise may do the best it can to play up the whole “friendship” angle, but the majority of fans, casual and otherwise, would say they’re not fooling anyone.

I disagree. 

I’m not saying these points don’t have merit. To a degree, they do. But this conclusion about the Pokeverse is not the only one that can be drawn from analyzing this world. It's also based on several assumptions, headcanons, and interpretations of this world’s symbolism. I interpret these things differently myself, and I’ll try to explain how. But the bottom line is that humans and pokemon exist together in this world and have a unique relationship. Our world has humans, but not pokemon, so one can assume that the Pokemon are a deliberate symbol of…something. What that something is will probably vary based on who you ask, but just about everyone seems to interpret them as the “animals” of their universe. As in, living creatures who are not human. (Because Humans…are also Animals, and that’s kind of the whole point right there, but I’m getting ahead of myself.) 

We seem to draw an inherent comparison between Pokemon and #RealWorld Animals, which is where all of this stems from. I believe this is a mistake. Or if nothing else, it’s not the definitive interpretation of what they are. If anything, the closest comparison I can think of is…maybe Angels? But even that doesn’t truly describe their role. The more the Pokeverse gets fleshed out, the clearer it becomes to me that catching and training Pokemon are completely misunderstood concepts. They’re not really comparable to anything in real life, certainly not the training of animals or the keeping of pets. I genuinely don’t think that the relationship between Trainer and Pokemon has an equivalent in our world. 

I do understand where the impulse to make this comparison comes from. Of course people look at Pokemon and see animals. After all, they're living, breathing creatures, magical creatures that coexist with humanity. A not insignificant number of them do resemble real-life animals or are otherwise based on them. The most crucial bit of evidence for this idea is that the Pokeverse, by all appearances, lacks “real world” animals of its own. There are no recognizable creatures from our world to speak of, apart from humanity. So I can see how people reached this conclusion and I get why they draw the parallel.

However, it’s just not a fair comparison to make. Not at all. 

Some animals do have the means to defend themselves, of course. But Pokemon have abilities on another level entirely. They’re basically magic. They have superpowers unique to themselves. Can a human spit fire? Tunnel a hole in seconds? Can they summon storms in the blink of an eye? Can a human block all damage with Wonder Guard? The answer is no. They cannot do this. Humans are one race, and a relatively mundane race at that. While they are distinctly separate from Pokemon…that doesn’t make them superior. It doesn’t make them more powerful. The sheer variety in Pokemon species, not to mention the variety of their powers, means that if war was to break out between the two communities…the humans would not win. It wouldn’t even be close. 

Pokemon are baked deep into this culture. If you had to guess which of these two societies was here first, would you really guess humanity? I wouldn’t. Just look at the spiritual side of this world. It has deities who are confirmed to exist, who created this world as we know it..and they’re all Pokemon. Who knows where the humans even came from, but the Legendary Pokemon are the ones who fashioned the universe.

It is vanity to assume that Humanity is the dominant species of the Pokeverse.

They are not in charge of this world - they could never be. Pokemon explicitly range from human to above-human level intelligence. The humans attempt to understand them, but the Anime clarifies that they’ve chosen to name the Pokemon based on their speech patterns. Pokemon don’t “say their name” and nothing else. It’s the reverse. They speak unique languages that the humans elected to name them for. By contrast, Pokemon can clearly understand human language. There’s no way around it, they are smarter than us. So it’s no surprise that they have their own communities and systems, totally independent from humanity. However, there are also countless Pokemon who choose (read: CHOOSE) to work with humans, on individual and group-wide scales.

In fact, Pokemon and Humans may not be so different at all.

They may descend from a common ancestor. There is consistent flavor text that verifies this, stating that on a fundamental level, Pokemon and Humans are all but the same. Perhaps humankind and Pokemon weren’t always separate beings? Perhaps they were once one and the same? It’s pure conjecture, but according to the Library in Canalave City, there was a time in the ancient past when Pokemon ate at the same table as Humans and would even marry them sometimes. That last bit of trivia is cut from the English version, undoubtedly because of the popular interpretation I discussed earlier. Fans see Pokemon as animals, and the dubbing team probably wanted to avert any weird implications. 

What’s odd is that in Legends: Arceus, which takes place in the ancient past…humans and pokemon have clearly already been separated, and have no relationship beyond hostility and fear towards each other. There are exceptions, of course, but by and large, the idea of a “Pokemon Trainer” is a new concept to the humans in Hisui. I’m getting very off topic now, but it does make a fan wonder. Just what happened to separate pokemon and humankind? They were as close as kin at one point, before some kind of split occurred, and it’s taken countless generations for them to redevelop a closeness...there’s a greater mystery here that isn’t relevant to the topic at hand, but these questions are worth asking. Either way, the point is that the two communities are almost fated to come together.

The Pokemon are drawn to humanity, and whether they invest in an official “trainer” or not, they seek out humans just as often as the humans go looking for them.

The pokemon will form these partnerships out of their own desire. A desire for what, you may be asking? I think it varies, but when it comes to the Trainer/Pokemon relationship, we can assume the typical goal is shared strength. The human and the pokemon form a symbiotic relationship in the Training system. This is stated numerous times, especially in the Anime - A wild pokemon will never reach their full potential. Not without a Trainer. You see? It isn’t only the humans who benefit from this relationship, and the Pokemon understand this. The vast majority of them want to be caught, they seek a trainer who can help them harness their powers. 

Mewtwo decries Pokemon Training as Slavery during Mewtwo Strikes Back. Pikachu contradicts him, and Ash literally puts his life on the line in the effort to prove him wrong. Much later, in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, the same question comes up. Lucario asks if Ash is Pikachu’s “master” and Ash rejects that terminology. Because Pikachu is his best friend, nothing less. There is a reason why the word is “Trainer” and not “Master” or “Owner.” Because Pokemon Trainers do not own their Pokemon. Full stop. The Poke Ball isn't a prison. It, and the PC Boxes from the games, are implied to be a kind of virtual reality. The Poke Ball is a symbol, a convenience more than anything else, but not a requirement. Ash is living proof. The Poke-Ball may be the norm, but if you're claustrophobic like Pikachu, or you're just not feeling it, you can abstain. Ash has never treated Pikachu as a captive. (Except for that one time…)

Okay, I’ll address this real quick. Yes, Ash did drag Pikachu along with a rope in the first episode, and used rubber gloves so that Pikachu could not retaliate. I’m just gonna have to call that #EarlyInstallmentWeirdness. This was Generation 1, this was back when Ghost Types were literally dead Pokemon. Besides, Pikachu had already shocked Ash unprovoked, so the rubber gloves were arguably self-defense. I guess you could make the case that Ash didn’t “truly” become Pikachu’s Trainer until the end of the episode. But in general, the writers have shaped this world beyond what was established in the very beginning, and perhaps they’re deliberately trying to counter the claims of slavery and animal abuse, but even if that’s true…it doesn’t mean make the contributions less canon.

How it started.

How it's going.

Never mind. What about catching pokemon? That’s still messed up, right? 

There is an obvious counterargument to be made to my stance, a Donphan in the room, and I won’t ignore it. The counterpoint here is that capturing Pokemon is almost always done against their will. Or at least, that’s how it’s traditionally done, and the norm in the games remains consistent. Still. Ash winds up befriending the majority of his Pokemon instead, and he’s far from the only trainer we see doing so. James is another human who recruits his teammates primarily through his own likable qualities. You might argue that while obtaining a Pokemon can happen without fighting, that style is unusual. But again, based on the anime, it doesn’t seem to be that uncommon. I think what’s considered rare is that Ash seems to specialize in doing this despite his intended goal of training Pokemon for battle. 

But, whatever. Capturing Pokemon through battle still happens, right? It happens quite a lot. The examples that differ from this norm don’t erase that, nor do they erase how repugnant it is. After all, the Trainer is cornering a creature who more often than not, was just minding their own business. (A wild pokemon is very often the one to initiate battle, but never mind.) The trainer then forcibly kidnaps them after violently assaulting them. Even the term “capturing” pokemon has problematic connotations. No way around it - on paper, this sounds bad. It sounds horrific. But if I may, I’d like to offer a different perspective based on what I’ve been able to observe of the Pokeverse’s culture. First of all, I’d like to offer a scalding hot take about the violence of Pokemon battles. This may be where I lose a lot of people, but hear me out. 

I challenge the idea that a Pokemon battle is “violent.” 

Or at least, I don’t believe the characters consider it to be violent, not in the same way we understand it. A pokemon battle isn’t assault, because they’re not human. But it’s also not animal abuse, because the Pokeverse doesn’t have animals. Again, it’s worth remembering that Pokemon are supernatural creatures with magical powers, and I’d say their powers, the “moves” they learn, play by different rules than conventional fighting. There’s actually quite a bit of evidence to suggest that this is true. 

In Mewtwo Strikes Back, the Pokemon very specifically fight their clones without access to any of their actual moves, after Mewtwo psychically blocks their powers. Everything about this scene is meant to convey tragedy. All of a sudden, a series that’s been all about battle is preaching against violence. Sure, we can call it bad writing, executive meddling, or anything we want. But ignore the Fourth Wall and ask yourself, why would the characters react this way in-universe? Why is it that Pokemon battling has always been okay, but in this one instance, it’s not? The movie goes to great lengths to show us that the Pokemon are hurting each other. Which we don’t normally see.

The only difference? The Pokemon aren’t using their normal moves.

From this, we can conclude that the typical, conventional Pokemon battle, where the two pokemon fight using their special abilities...it doesn’t hurt them. It may tire them out, but a Pokemon Center can heal basically any injuries in record time. Nurse Joy is some kind of miracle worker…or maybe she isn’t. Maybe The Pokemon are being tired out from their battles, but not actually harmed in the long term. This would explain why Pokemon attacks don’t cause lasting damage to humans, either. Get hit with a Flamethrower? Don’t worry, you’ll just be temporarily stunned and have soot all over your face. The doylist explanation is, once again, that it’s a children’s cartoon, but that doesn’t explain what’s happening in-universe. Team Rocket has been electrocuted by Pikachu a near-infinite number of times. So how are they even alive? 

Simple. Pikachu isn’t actually trying to kill them. Because of course he isn’t. It’s quite possible that Pokemon moves simply are not capable of inflicting serious damage, or perhaps Pokemon have an inherent resistance to them. But I suspect it’s not a lack of ability that stops Pokemon moves from being violent…but an almost universal choice. That when Pokemon go on the offensive with their powers, or at least, when they direct said powers at humans…they are always pulling their punches. That’s why the fight on New Island was so grotesque - the Pokemon were not remotely familiar with battling that way, engaging in true violence, and there’s little doubt that they were figuratively and literally scarred by that night. 

It’s no wonder they never use their powers to cause actual bodily harm to anyone - I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some kind of sacred, unspoken taboo among Pokemon against doing so. A taboo that wouldn't be known to the newborn clone Pokemon on New Island. A taboo that may not have existed centuries ago, in say, the ancient times of the Hisui region. But present day, communities of Pokemon are more civilized, and they a working relationship with human society that ranges from neutral to friendly. We’re in head-canon territory now, but this kind of law among pokemon kind makes a lot of sense. There may be Pokemon out there who break this taboo, but they would be few and far between - probably outcasts among their own kind. It would add a new dimension to Pikachu's refusal to fight back against his clone counterpart.

Again, this scene makes a point of telling us over and over, that what we’re seeing is wrong. “Pokemon aren’t meant to fight. Not like this.” That line right there is precisely the point. Battling isn’t meant to be like that, and in practice, it almost never is. There’s a reason why Pokemon almost never actually die in battle, and only get “very weak,” a condition that is cured flawlessly with the medical science of a Pokemon Center. It’s almost like a Pokemon’s powers create a kind of invisible simulation system, allowing them to spar with their opponent safely. Because that’s what a Pokemon battle is, at heart. It’s a test of skill. It’s meant to just be friendly sparring. A kind of sport that the Pokemon and Trainers engage in together, and it’s stated many times that they need to be in sync to have any hope of a successful career in professional matches. Again, I refer you to Mewtwo Strikes Back. The Pokemon were able to use their powers collectively to restore Ash to life. There’s clearly a lot more to a Pokemon’s power than just combat. That part is nothing more than recreation for them. 

I realize that I deviated tremendously from the original question about capturing Pokemon, but I feel that it’s important to address this point. 

Pokemon Battling is not violence. It’s effectively a sport that all sides consent to playing, a sport that has safety measures practically built in, as well as further precautions offered like the Pokemon Center. In that sense, it's more or less just another interpretation of Pokemon Contests, and Showcases, and everything else. A human helping a Pokemon study their powers and use them to fullest potential. This is the reason why I don’t actually consider a Trainer fighting a wild Pokemon to be so obscene. However, that only addresses the question of violence. Trainers are still kidnapping Pokemon against their will, right? That’s why one has to “weaken” a Pokemon to catch them. Well, believe it or not, I’m going to debunk that too. 

Barring exceptions, the wild Pokemon must be exhausted to the point that they can no longer resist a poke-ball, before you can obtain them. Their opinion about being caught is always a non-issue. By all accounts, it doesn't seem as though this is acceptable. But even this, I think, is part of the cultural dissonance. Among other things, we don’t know what the little “click” of the Poke-ball actually means. It signals that the capture was a success, but is that the Pokemon choosing to yield, or the Poke Ball’s technology locking them in? It’s a little ambiguous, I’ll freely admit as much…but I would argue that the former idea isn’t impossible. Again, wild Pokemon, generally speaking, actually want to find a Trainer. The first episode of the anime even hints that certain wild Pokemon are jealous of those with trainers. With that in mind, why is catching them even a fight to begin with? 

I’ll tell you why. When a wild pokemon battles a trainer, they are essentially giving that trainer a test.

They’re gauging the trainer’s abilities to bring out the potential of their pokemon. If you’re a trainer, and your pokemon defeats another pokemon in the wild…you’ve just proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that your pokemon is stronger than the wild one. You have now proven that you have something to offer, you’ve passed the test. The wild Pokemon now realizes that it stands to learn something, to grow more powerful, by accepting your tutelage. That’s why it’s considered acceptable to the pokemon to follow a trainer after they are overpowered and captured. It’s like…right of conquest, but with fully informed consent. 

Consent is key here, and I believe this cultural understanding to be the reason that most pokemon are immediately comfortable with following the trainer who caught them. While one might argue that they don't really have a choice anymore...that simply isn't true. The anime clarifies that Pokemon can release themselves from a Poke-Ball whenever they want. Misty’s Psyduck is the most iconic example of this, but there are countless others.  In theory, a Pokemon could just leave a trainer who they find unsatisfactory. Actually, that’s not just a theory. That’s canon. Something that most people don’t seem to realize (or at least, they forget) is that it’s not just Trainers who ditch Pokemon they no longer want. It happens in reverse as well.

Pokemon can and do abandon their trainers, if they deem said trainers to be unworthy of their talents. 

Remember when I said that I would be chiefly referencing the anime, because it’s the most reliable depiction of what the Pokeverse is supposed to be like? This is exactly what I was talking about. Because obviously, this never happens in the games. Your Pokemon don’t just disappear from your party or PC boxes, because that would be an incredibly stupid and unfair mechanic. But in the anime, where the relationships between pokemon and trainer are more fleshed out? In the first season, Bad To The Bone is about a Marowak who chose to ditch his trainer after said trainer had his badges stolen. While the Marowak eventually changed his mind, at no point did any character voice the idea of trying to return him by force. It was Marowak’s choice and no one else’s, which is why the trainer was heartbroken.

But that’s not a one-off, it’s not the only example. There are quite a few. Due to a misunderstanding, Gym Leader Pryce once believed his Piloswine had abandoned him. Then there’s Ash. Always the mother hen, he’s adopted many pokemon who were abandoned by previous trainers, but the opposite has also happened. His Snivy, and his Greninja, are both Pokemon who were explicitly stated to have had previous trainers whom they chose to leave, because they didn’t feel understood. Typically, it seems that Pokemon choose to leave because they feel as though the unspoken contract that is “pokemon training” has been violated somehow, or they’re otherwise not getting what they signed up for. This is why the traditional method of “catching” pokemon is so vital. Because it’s an honor system.

Any time a human does attempt to force a pokemon into submission or otherwise harm them through any method that is not the traditional system of capture, the story treats them as unquestionably villainous for doing so. The other humans react in horror, and attempt to stop them. This is because forgoing the “defeat them in battle” route and instead using some kind of technology or whatnot to claim the Pokemon is seen as dishonorable at the best of times, and evil at the worst of times. The Trainer is ignoring the agency of the Pokemon. Attempting capture in the conventional way is a mutually accepted system, the wild Pokemon know and understand that a trainer may attempt to take them, and if they really don’t want to be said Trainer’s pokemon, they can always choose to leave after they are captured. But the use of other means takes that choice away from them. These villains, usually the evil Teams, are using methods of capture that fail to demonstrate to the Pokemon why they are a worthy Trainer, and likewise rob them of the ability to judge them as unworthy. 

So yes, there are exceptions, but for the reasons I have described, I fail to see how the idea of “slavery” is applicable to properly trained Pokemon.

They have the power to attack their trainers whenever they choose. Sometimes they do. They have magical abilities that enslaved humans in real life do not have. Legends: Arceus does a great job of highlighting just how dangerous Pokemon could be toward their human counterparts if they really wanted to be. They also have the power to leave. A Pokeball is not a chain. The only time a Pokemon struggles to escape a Ball is when it is first used on them, and the connection is initially forged. But, as I’ve talked about, I believe this to be a ceremonial process and little else. Trainers will immediately send out freshly caught Pokemon to heal or train, and the Pokemon don’t run. But once again, they could. What is stopping them? Ash’s Charizard never saw fit to abandon him, but if he had, what could Ash have actually done about it? Basically nothing. He’d get a flamethrower to the face and then Charizard would fly off. The same thing is true for any of Ash’s Pokemon, or the trained Pokemon of any Trainer ever. 

There’s another Donphan in the room that I’d like to touch on real quick. I’ve talked a lot about how the anime clarifies the nature of Pokemon and their relationship to their Trainers…but I also mentioned that the developers have openly tried to beat back the claims of animal abuse, of slavery. The anime speaks for itself, but what about the time Black and White openly addressed these criticisms? You were probably waiting for me to bring it up, but the truth is, I don’t have much to say. The idea of Pokemon and Trainers having a symbiotic relationship, and needing each other…the idea that they shouldn’t be separated…all of that is touched on in the games, but the subject is mostly used as a scapegoat by a wannabe dictator.

I have yet to see any character in Pokemon honestly make the same comparison that critics make in real life, and I doubt we ever will see that happen. It’s just not an idea that can be properly explored in the Pokeverse, because our world is unknown to them. Our way of doing things isn’t something that any in-universe Trainer could hope to understand. It’s an entirely different culture. The way we personally view Pokemon as creatures is colored by our context, by the fact that we’re on the outside, peering into this world with the perspective of a society that doesn’t have Pokemon. To the humans, this is the way their world works. Team Plasma came the closest to approaching that idea, but even then, they were the villains. It was made abundantly clear that they were wrong. 

In theory, Pokemon are servants at the whims of their Trainers. In practice, they’re actually the ones with real power and the relationship is balanced, nuanced, and heavily based on mutual trust.

In theory, Pokemon are the wild animals of their universe. In practice, they have no equivalent to our world. They are, as we're told many times, "wondrous creatures." They have no explanation.

In theory, Pokemon are forced to engage in senseless violence day in and day out. In practice, Pokemon battling is an art form that the Pokemon themselves choose to pursue, and it is not remotely dangerous. 

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. If you need me, I'll be hunting for a shiny Wattrel.

[kann1bal1st1c-vvh0r3yummyyummy]

Hello! I am the owner of this account, I go by Kanni! I am the host of a OSDD, fictive heavy, System. I’m also Autistic and I have ADHD. I use they/it/eye pronouns.

The TW and CW for my account;

⚠️Keep yourself safe, block, don’t report. This account is kinda nsfw on both sides of the horny and Gorey <3⚠️

- gore art

- Jokes about the medias I post

- Very dark humour

- Cannibalism jokes

- I post about my intrusive thoughts on here

- Swearing, talk about alcohol, drugs, smoking

- Cursed but weirdly detailed Analysis’ on cursed things

- “Cringe” content like gacha life 2

- Sometimes NSFW content, not of myself but head-canons of characters and fanfic ideas

- I repost like crazy

- I ship darkship and compship stuff

This is my DNI list and stuff I won’t post about;

DNI if you are a/if you:

❤️ - leave!!!!!!! Block me or I’ll block you!!

🧡 - you can maybe stay, just don’t ask me about it….. and don’t let me see you……

💛 - you can stay just be careful

- MHA fans🧡

- Ppl who judge vent Content❤️

- Gacha haters🧡

- Endosys’❤️

- Any of the Phobics (transphobic, homophobic)❤️

- Bullys ppl For no Reason❤️

- Supports Cringe culture❤️

- Ppl who have “No boundaries”❤️

- Ppl who sexualise mental illnesses ❤️

- Ppl who think Little space is A kink and think it should be sexualised. ❤️

- DREAM SMP fans💛

- Dangonrompa fans💛

- Genshin impact fans 💛

- PPL WHO JUDGE ALTERS FOR THEIR SOURCE(S)❤️

- Ppl who judge Special interests and fixations❤️

- Ppl who judge other systems without a good reason❤️

- Ppl who don’t believe in witchcraft and therians/otherkin🧡

And I won’t post about:

- MHA

- DSMP

- Dangonrompa

- Genshin impact

- If it doesn’t peak my interest/If I don’t find it that interesting

- Things about my system/things about my alters

- Any other info about me

Now for a more positive note the stuff I will post about:

- ihnmaims

- The amazing digital circus

- The Magnus archives

- Demon slayer

- JJK

- One Piece

- Boyfriend to death 1&2

- The price of flesh

- Fnaf

- Dsaf

- Hellsing

- Creepypasta

- Hannibal nbc

- Witchcraft stuff

- Otherkin and Theiran stuff

- My ocs

- Hetalia

- slenderverse (Marble hornets, EverymanHYBRID)

- Lacey games

- Bugbo and friends

- Kinitopet

- Gacha life 2

- Gore, cannibalism, shit like that

- My art

- A lot of analog horror stuff you just have to ask for one(examples; Mandela catalog, urban spook, man in the suit)

- Welcome home

- Talk about drugs(weed) and alcohol

- Hazbin hotel

- cookie run kingdom

- portal 1&2

- vampire chronicles

- transformers

- darkship/compship stuff!

And that’s all! Ask blog is open!! Go right ahead and ask or request anything from that list!

Have a good day/afternoon/evening, my dear reader/viewer, if you gave me your time of course but none the less, Kanni, signing out for now <33

[wisteriasymphony]

adrien making any sexual relationship a prostitution dynamic is something i never thought about but it makes so much sense. is his love language gift-giving or does he only hide behind that sort of label because he thinks no one wants to have sex with him for the sake of it, because they actually enjoy his company without ulterior motives (i rly like thinking abt this even tho i sound incoherent rn i think maybe only claudia would have sex with him without wanting anything💀 atleast in tweos au?) also luka as joker.....the implications are something alright 😭

It's partially gift-giving, but more in the sense that he likes helping his s/o where they need it the most. ...And when you're one of the richest idiots in Paris, most of the time the one thing they need more than you is money.

Going a bit into a Marxist analysis of the Cannibalism Chapter , Adrien is conditioned to see himself as a resource first and person second. This is why being eaten alive is so tantalizing to him—it's the distribution of his "value" to those who are more worthy of it. (Actually, his interest in it is multifaceted, but I'll leave that for its own silly post.) So, this willingness to provide financially is an extension of that same desire. He finds that the pinnacle of his worth as a person is what others can exploit him for, as that is what he was raised to believe by his (exploitative) parents.

That kind of bled into your second guess as to why he would unconsciously hookerify his partners, but I do agree that that is also true—He has plenty of insecurities regarding people appreciating him for who he is. He has horrible abandonment issues and has felt unloved in most of his interpersonal relationships, so he will leverage anything he can if that means his partner won't leave him. This is why he hastily regifts Marinette's pastries to Claudia in Chapter 55: Not only has he been using his money to bribe Claudia into maintaining their relationship (before the breakup, that is), but now he's doing it with food, something that he knows Claudia has trouble getting. Chapter 55 is actually so good for showing off a taste of Adrien's more manipulative habits. Like with the prostitution thing, his intentions are... pure-ish? But it's still kind of scummy and pathetic, and I like when his flaws get to shine.

Also if Claudia wasn't so caught up in her reluctance to rely on others (because accepting gifts is, in her mind, what leads to people asking things from you in return), she would 100% be willing to continue the relationship even if it was solely financially driven. She does appreciate Adrien's company on its own, and she does genuinely care for him... but her issue with the dynamic is actually more that accepting money puts her in a "debt" to him and she doesn't like where that could lead. This was the intended implication of her Ch49 spiel to Karra, and later fleshed out in her conversation with Chat in Ch55, but I'll be more explicit about it in the future now that it's brought to my attention. Especially when they're finally honest about these insecurities and talk it out like they should. I had a few scenes in mind where this would play out, but they were written with a different trajectory for the story in mind so they might not work anymore. Oopsies

@nocturnal-notes b/c the lore and analysis :3 eat up pookie

[lostinlovingrevery]

Ok sorry ik it wasn't the point of your post but your opinions on the Love triangle are so true🤧 like maybe I'm remembering wrong but Wasn't Jean's character supposed to be mature and intelligent?? Why did she have to be THIS indecisive on this particular area??

NO BUT IM SO GLAD YOU SENT ME THIS

THE LOVE TRIANGLE BETWEEEN JEAN, SCOTT, AND LOGAN IS RIDICULOUS.

Id imagine the comics probably go more in depth about Logans feelings, Jeans, and Scotts since its a thing happening since the beginning, and I havent read the comics so i cant fully comment on that since idk how fleshed out that whole thing is. I WILL SAY that i think it does bad to logans character bc i think it makes him seem creepy and weird towards jean sometimes when she explicitly says no. At least from the stuff ive seen.

SO BUT i will comment on the movies bc while i havent watched the 97 xmen and like i said havent read the comics either, i feel like the movies did such an extreme disservice to her. Her character is constantly described as super empathetic and caring and friendly, and yes shes supposed to be super mature and intelligent, but really i just got the intelligent part. I dont want to use the word "bitch" to describe her bc her charater analysis goes deeper than that but anyway. She just seems cold and serious. Ororo takes up the whole "super kind and nuturing lady" who she is but anyway.

When it comes to jean and logan interacting they barely have any type of convo or connection that I felt like worth the drama between them. You can always aknwoledge that more theres background knowledge that you dont see in the movie. Logan flirts with jean (alright shes pretty so hes just gonna be flirty) and she immediately gets irritated (pushes him in the xray). Should tell you no, shes not interested. Then later she shows him his bedroom, he flirts again, and she immediately shuts him down by mentioning scott- but then she goes to look at his memories and honestly the moment becomes super intimate. Very random. But i guess if you were looking into someomes traumatic pass youd get intimate too.

Honestly you dont really see much happen between them after. They fight magneto, logan saves the day AND THEN when jeans checking ovee logan in the x mansion and shes all like "rogues smitten with you for saving her" and logan says well she better move past it "my heart belongs to someone else" AND LOOK ITS A SUPER SWEET LINE BUT WHAT?? HOW CAAN YOU SAY THAT YALL BARELY HAD A CONVO???? Now you could say that my thinking from the post this all came from could connect that logan knows when hes got feelings for someone and maybe he feels them strongly but HONESTLY i could not see any connection between them. Logan spends more time being concerned over rogue, and his own past and youre gonna suddenly imply hes in love with her AFTER A WEEK?? No. I love a good love story but this aint it. Give me something between jean and scott that shows the stuff their relationship endures together and how much they love each other. Let logan figure his life out.

Thats when the next movies get super frustrating. In X2 jean is so mean to logan. First she acts so flirty towards him and gets his hopes up. Then when he tells her he likes her and he kisses her she LETS HIM and i honestly cant decide if she did it because she felt bad for him or if she did it bc she was truly interested. She tells logan girls flirt with the dangerous girl but they marry the good guy. The guy you can bring home to your parents. When logan suggests he could be the good guy (so sweetly) she says the good guy STAYS. Impying shes angry at him for leaving to go figure out what happened at lake akali?? Also implying maybe something couldve happpened between them if he did stay even though her and scott are still a thing?? Hello?? There could be several ways to decipher this but since this is going on long enough im not gonna add those.

I think if jean did have any feelings for logan, its as she puts it. Maybe hes dangerous and new, and that gives her some sort of excitement. She grew up in suburban middle class neighborhood. Got powers and went to a super school. She got with scott and her life was pretty set. Maybe logan gave her some excitement? She liked the attention from him but knew it was wrong? Idk. In the end though she knew she would pick scott. Perhaps jean was having complicated feelings for logan? If she was, that wass the only time you truly saw ANY sign of it. It felt more like she was leading him on, and then shutting him down quickly. And to her credit she did always shut him down in the end (when shes not possessed)

Im gonna add i dont think logan is fully innocent either. He pushes himself onto a woman who maybe she was giving him mixed signals but she still is commited to another guy (who was also missimg in most of the x2 movie??) Logan should have respected the boundaries but i suppose feelings esp romantic can be hard to deal with. While logan and scott had their qualms i think logan did have respect for scott in someway.

(Dont get me started on how they butchered my boy scotty in these movies btw. They gave him NO screentime)

So thrn the rest of the movie goes on and jean dies (death #1) and obvs everyones devestated. When x3 goes on logan doesnt seem all that upset. Scott was rightfully grief stricken. You could say that logan maybe pushed that stuff away, the grief and sadness, or mayb hes so used to it he can move on. He tells scott she wouldve want him to move on. (Sorry lo but he JUST lost his gf/fiance??)

When jean comes back and kills scott and logan and ororo find her, jean then comes on to logan and they have that intense makeout session EXCEPT it isnt jean its the phoenix, and idk much about the phoenix but its possible that it was displaying jeanss inner emotions and its described that her emotions when charles met her was powerful and sporadic. Jean wass literally about to kill logan the way she did scott and I think logan sensed something and thats why he stopped, he remembered scott and asked where he was, and to logans credit i think he knew jean wouldnt have really wanted that.

The rest of the movie happens and logan ends up killing her after they lose charles. He tells her he loves her. Bro, you knew her for maybe 1 week, left for idk how long a month? Came back and knew her for a couple more days- KISSED HER- she told you no anyway, she dies, comes back, and now you tell her just as shes having a full power break down being posessed by some immortal space bird that you love her? I mean, do you even know her favorite color?

I feel like their whole "love story" (both comics and movies) is some sloppy attempt to have romance and drama and to make logan seem more complicaated and add to his personal struggle (as if he isnt complicated enough) if youre going to do a love triangle, actually build up a relationship between people bc tbh we barely saw scott and jeans relationship either. If you want logan to have romance try Ororo (which FINALLY is happening btw). I mean, im always open for logan romance but i suppose storm deserves a chance.

I mean maybe its me, maybe im just a sucker for true love, a building of friendship/relationship first before finally realizing that you love them (or been in love from the start). There was no romantic devlopement of any sort and honestly any feelings logan and jean may have for each seemed more physical than anything else. I could prob write an essay about how wrong it all was, how it destroyed jeans character by forcing logan on her and making her seem like she was into it and made logan look pushy and disrespectful.

I dont mean to slander jeans character so hard. I think her character when done right is actually wonderful (and honestly someone i could relate too) but the movies didnt do right by her. Jean and scott didnt get very good development the way storm and logan did and honestly logan is the top contender in character development against everyone.

So yes thats my essay im sure you werent expecting me to answer all this but I REALLY wanted to get this out there. Its just my lil thinking about thesee movies

If anyone would like to add their two cents (either for or against it) pls do! ❤️

[lord-squiggletits]

Something I keep seeing when I speak to others about MTMTE Megatron is basically the idea that he's going on a personal journey to become a better person, that the point isn't for him to be "redeemed" but for him to get a chance to do good and die as a person he can live with again. That MTMTE presents a unique take on this because being away from Cybertron gives Megatron a chance to be a person rather than a political figure and this is how it gives him more depth as a character. Or just generally pointing out in a narrative sense that Megatron being in MTMTE limits his story options so of course his story is going to be more focused on a personal journey than on politics of him dealing with the Decepticons/Earth/etc and that just because JRO made a choice to take that path with Megatron doesn't mean that it's inherently bad.

And I'm just, mmm like I understand all of those points and acknowledge that they all contributed to the MTMTE Megatron we got. I even think that without JRO writing Megatron we wouldn't have had his lore be as fleshed out and 3D as it ended up becoming.

(Post starts out as a sort of meta analysis or at least me giving a reasoned explanation for my interpretation of the story, ends up being petty bitching in the last 1-2 paragraphs)

I just..... I just personally don't agree with the "he's becoming a better person by getting a chance to relax and experience happiness and trust after a life of trauma" as being the best choice for his character? Because the problem is that maybe if he were a random Decepticon foot soldier that would be appropriate, but he was literally the leader of the Decepticons that made them Like That and has political/cultural/societal responsibility for why things are the way they are? To be completely frank, I don't care about him going on a personal journey for self-peace, I think that he should become a better person by helping to un-fuck all the things he actually screwed up???

Like idc about the debate of whether he can be "redeemed" or if he should've been killed/imprisoned/etc at the ending. It just comes down to the fact that for me personally, I feel that since Megatron's wrongdoings were at a social level, him "being a better person" would've been better shown by him engaging with those people who he wronged instead of just going on a frigging personal journey for his legacy and self-peace???

Especially since in other series (exRID, possibly Windblade) we literally got plots like "the neutrals hate Autobots but they hate Decepticons even more" and "the Decepticons have been taken over by Galvatron and are now invading earth 2 electric boogaloo" and "yeah the Decepticons are literally living in slums because people hate them so much and won't give them any work." It just leaves me wondering why in the hell people are like, "oh Megatron got to be happy and have a chance to be a normal person." I don't want him to be normal! I want him to repay his debts to the people he actually wronged! Like if you want to cast Megatron as a hero of the people so badly (which so many of his stans do as if he actually cared about the Cons) then how do you reconcile the fact that Megatron just fucked off and left the Decepticons to suffer on Cybertron? Including some of them attacking during his trial and getting killed and Megatron is basically like "sorry, I'm not coming with you and this isn't going to work." And then Megatron complains about "toxic Decepticon loyalty" as if he didn't literally make them that way? Like I get that MTMTE Megatron is still an asshole but if you've read something besides MTMTE and know what the Decepticons are going through, it just ends up being really grating.

I just don't see Megatron as being a particularly good hero or having a particularly fulfilling story if he's completely isolated from all the bad things he did on Cybertron/the way the Decepticons are suffering until LL#25 where it's like "ah damn I'm going to trial now, well this is what I deserve so it's fine." Why could we not have seen something like Megatron trying to deradicalize the Decepticons or change their public image so they could integrate into normal Cybertron again? They were living in SLUMS and getting gunned down by Starscream's badgeless enforcers!

The best we got was the Functionist Universe but like.... I'm sorry, but JRO inventing a whole alternate universe for Megatron to save doesn't do jack shit to save or fix the people he left behind in this one. It was especially grating to read because JRO literally wrote in someone saying "you saved billions of lives from the Functionists" as if he was trying really hard to show how good Megatron is because he saved people (and also if not for Megatron existing Cybertron would be even worse and half of your faves would be enslaved or dead, also the Functionist Council was going to genocide organics too so technically they're WORSE than Megatron since they hate organics AND want to enslave their own race).

I read Barber's, JRO's, and MScott's series concurrently using the omnibus + a release order list for phase 3, and after all that I'm kind of puzzled why the fandom seems to ardently love MTMTE Megatron and think he's so well written but then also shit on Optimus for things that he did during the same points in the story? Because, and I know this is a blazing hot take, I honestly think that Optimus makes a better hero of his story than Megatron does for his, and Optimus' personal journey combines his personal and political identities into a narrative that's a lot more gruelling and questioning of his goodness than we got for Megatron in MTMTE. Which is fucking saying something considering Megatron committed crimes against sapient species and Optimus is the guy who tried to stop him from doing that and has always been pro-equal rights for all beings. But people pretty much just cherrypick things like Optimus annexing Earth or beating up Prowl and go "he's bad" and I'm like no??? IDW OP isn't a bad person or a bad character??? It's just that unlike MTMTE Megatron he's placed in a narrative that actually suits the nature of his actions and has themes that match. To the point that IMO sometimes Barber's narrative shits on Optimus excessively or paints him mainly in the most unflattering ways.

But like. It's just funny to me because Optimus spent his entire part of the story doing things like trying to stop Earth from being invaded/colonized yet again. Grappling with his identity as Prime and dealing with the fact that people literally worship him vs. the fact that his upbringing made him see the Primacy as nothing more than a facade of authority/leadership. Having people get mad at him for prioritizing politics over friendship/relationships with other people. Even getting shit on for being a cop a decent amount so people can STFU about IDW OP being "copaganda" or "not held responsible for his actions". The problems that Optimus dealt with were personal because they had to do with his self-doubt, culpability for the war as a leader of one of the armies, distance from his soldiers, etc. But all of these are also POLITICAL struggles. Because Optimus gave up on the chance to just be a normal person having personal struggles when he chose to become a LEADER, which also means that he's held to extremely high standards that he regularly fails at in the eyes of others.

That's why, to me, MTMTE Megatron falls flat in comparison and really as a "hero" or heel-face character in general? Because he also made a decision to be a leader, and IMO once you do things like become the commander of an army and start your own galactic empire, you lose the right to prioritize your personal problems and instead are obligated by the power you've chosen to wield to focus on your POLITICAL problems. If Megatron's power, influence, and crimes are of a social-political nature, then his heel-face turn arc and ways of showing that he's a better person/helping to heal what little damage he possibly can should have been shown with actions that help on a social-political LEVEL. That's why I'm not particularly impressed with his character arc and feel as if it was overhyped by other people in this fandom: sure, the extra character depth and emotion is nice, but I'm not really going to see him as extraordinary or even particularly good when the extent of him "becoming a better person" happens entirely on a random road trip to fuck-off nowhere. Especially not when the ending of LL tried to sell me a "they lived happily ever after" ending while basically leaving the freaking MUTINY as just Rodimus going "oh it's okay you're forgiven, we're all together again" and I guess everyone was fine with Megatron and wanted to spend an eternity on a ship with him just because Getaway died.

This is why I like (the concept/themes of) exRID/OP and the way Optimus' character arc was handled a lot more. Because for Optimus, the personal and the political were as one. He was held accountable for his actions towards others and the disruptive effects they had on a social level, sometimes to a ridiculous extent (the fucking "oh Megatron is an Autobot so now that makes the Autobots colonizers" plot and that stupid colonist screaming about how Optimus is "literally fascist" my beloathed). Even his very personal issues like his relationship with Zeta were still cast in a wider lens of, yeah this is a personal struggle that Orion faced, but he was still part of a Society TM and his actions were sometimes ill-informed or harmful to others. Even if I had a lot of problems with the way Optimus' story was written by Barber (plot holes, little meaningful character interaction, forced conflicts), at least the BASELINE of it was way better than Megatron's in MTMTE. Especially since Optimus' struggle was explictly about things like struggling with responsibility and how he feels he HAS to intervene in political affairs because has to save people/make up for his past mistakes. That's something that a good leader/good person actually does, so I found Optimus to be a better hero (even if his actions weren't all "good") because he was trying to be a good person by actually getting involved with Cybertron/Earth and subjecting himself to something he hates (leadership, war) and dealing with a shitload of criticism instead of just going on a fuckin "personal journey" lksdlkfsd.

Which just makes me extra salty that people hold up MTMTE Megatron as the pinnacle of Megatrons and literally the best Transformers writing evar! while turning up their nose and ignoring or outright despising IDW Optimus. Like okay. I guess since Megatron got handled with silk gloves on while Optimus got put through the wringer of being shit on by every other person in the story, it's easier for you to pretend that Megatron is a poor uwu boy who just needs friendship and love while Optimus is literally the worst bastard to ever exist. Or maybe it's just that since Optimus' story involves him sometimes fucking up, being criticized, or making things worse, that makes him morally bad. As opposed to Megatron who disrupted a lot of other characters' stories in MTMTE, had to have an entire alternate universe invented so that he could "save lives," and got to sail off on a quantum Lost Light happily ever after, so since he's happy and the story says he saved people that means he's a good hero.

[fancyfade]

I like your insight in Damian's related thing but I don't quite understand how you see Dick and Damian's relation. Would you expand more on it?

For me it was most of a parental figure (not exactly a dad)/mentor while Bruce was away and after he came back it went more to older-younger brothers/still mentor

Ok so how I see dick and damian's relationship:

Dick is definitely responsible for Damian, and he feels responsible (he like. directly says so in battle for the cowl #2). he also starts out generally... like... annoyed by Damian. He thinks in resurrection of ra's al ghul "all this trouble for Damian? The kid no one can stand?" and says out loud something along the lines of "saving him makes us feel good" to Tim, then we have even in Batman and Robin 2009:

and like just to be clear, this isn't me doing a "dick #cancelled' thing or whatever, just pointing out how the dynamic starts. it does start with Dick feeling mostly obligation and annoyance towards Damian.

I don't think Dick ever was trying to be a parent when he was Batman and Damian was Robin, and that's okay! Like some posts already reblogged there (link to discussion, link to post about rules, link to my guess on dick's thought process). I think Dick was in survival mode. He was dealing with becoming Batman, Gotham Underworld being in chaos, now suddenly in addition to the responsibility of being Batman, which he did not ask for and feels obligated to fulfill, he has to take care of Damian*, which is another responsibility he did not ask for but feels obligated to fulfill. His main concern with Damian seems to be making sure Damian is safe (as in rescuing him if/when he gets in trouble) and b) making sure that Damian is not going too far in the field, ex: killing someone (he's worried Damian will kill Zsasz, even tho Damian didn't try) or torturing someone**. Once those big concerns are done we see Dick trying to flesh out Damian's Robin training, in the Batman series he gives him various clues to work on as he works a case (ex: medicine to analyze) so that Damian learns detective skills.

I think part of the reason why parental probably sparks so much discussion is because... well parental is going to be different for everyone. some of the recent analysis in the convo i've been having has been about dick's lack of consequences, but well... there are parents who don't do consequences, or who do but make them inconsistent enough that they seem arbitrary and meaningless***. I'll also point out that in general, parentalness from Dick is not something Morrison cared to put in the comic, and that's what we're going off mostly. Like we do see hints that the characters clearly care about each other as their dynamic gets closer, but we don't see an authorial investment in a parental dynamic, and it's hard to just say 'imagine that happened behind the scenes'. heck, part of what I like about Dick and Damian's dynamic is how gradually they slowly grow to tolerate and then trust and care about each other.

I think Dick's role for Damian when Damian is Robin and he's Batman is very much a mentor role, more involved than if Damian didn't live in the same house as him, but not doing everything a parent would be expected to do for a child, especially since we don't really see dick caring about what Damian does in his off of Robin hours :P Obviously it's possible to extrapolate/guess, maybe Damian was in homeschool (I know that's how I interpreted it in my fanfic) but it doesn't mean we actually see it happening and can say it's canon (if I'm wrong, please correct me). and I think that the fact that Damian is pretty independent**** does probably contribute to this, because I think if he seemed more needy Dick would be like 'oh yeah I guess I should do get him something to do during the day'. and eventually, yeah, their dynamic gets more big brother/little brothery.

I guess I could ask you a follow up question, which is what makes it seem especially parental to you?

*because Talia is being written terribly

**damian does beat information out of someone in batman and robin #2... I know I got on a long conversation on another about how this comic makes a big difference between physically torturing someone and what Dick does, which is intimidating people by making them think they will die, which is treated as totally OK within the text. I personally think that either option is not good

***this was my parents :P

****which makes sense for him in both pre new 52 canon -- with him having inconsistent primary caretakers and not having known his parents, presumably he's used to not expecting much of them, and post new 52 canon, where he just got done on a year long extremely challenging mission in the form of the Year of Blood, often with adult supervision in the form of assassin minions, but we also do see them die and him carry on the mission w/o them sometimes, or him working alone.

[lilyliveredlittlerichboy]

6

A different skull: The 8th. Doesn't have to do with the Eighth house necessarily. Ianthe is the "Eigth" to be taken into the Emperor's service as Lyctor, right?

Could mean more Ianthe. Or could mean some actual people from the 8th house. I forgot what the 8th in GtN were called - the nephew and uncle pair. They both died, though.

This is a second person chapter, so post-them dying, presumably.

you were seated in some kind of chair being wheeled down an Erebos corridor, and that someone had pinched a high cervical nerve right into your spinal cord—not deforming the bone at all, but manipulating the flesh only—in such a way that you were locked out of your body from the neck down.

you fucking WHAT??????

They can do that??????

Hey, Tamsyn Muir, that's terrifying.

(Anatomy brain in me is going: Oh she can breathe, so C5 at the earliest, MAYBE C4. She should still have SOME movement in the neck, as Trapezius and Sternocleidomastoid are innervated by a cranial nerve- I'll suspend my disbelief for a second and believe that it would not be enough to fully raise her head.)

(Direct anatomy questions to me, please. I love anatomy. I have a full degree in it. I don't get to nerd out about anatomy nearly as often as I would like to. It's a special interest <3)

a thick, fatty webbing joined the hilt to your forearm, a webbing that you had no memory of creating but was nonetheless your lacework. Perhaps you had woken up at an earlier point to stash the letters down your shift and fix the blade to your arm; you did not recall, but that was not unusual. Sometimes your conscious days were dreamlike ordinances of movement, functions, sounds.

Another insight into her mind: she often has memory lapses like this. I mean, we kinda knew that from the letters, though that may have been exceptional circumstances. Apparently, it wasn't.

You concentrated hard on whatever had been done to the back of your neck—visualized your known friend, the odontoid peg that protruded from your other known friend, the cervical vertebra—the bracelets that surrounded the vertebral arteries, the tangle of physeal joints. If it had simply been bonework, you would have been able to identify the mischief immediately, and unfuck accordingly.

This is why you need to learn flesh magic, Harrow. (Do different types of flesh magic differentiate between muscle, nerve, organ, vasculature magic? I kinda really wanna be a necromancer rn.)

Though, interestingly, the odontoid process is only found on C2, and that's decidedly too high for someone to fuck with her spinal nerves and her still being able to breathe. To me, this looks like Tamsyn Muir has definitely done her research - maybe even has a background in medicine/adjacent science; but can still get things wrong.

DAMNIT! Why did I have to get the Anatomy Chapter full of possible anatomical analysis to be had, when i was actually kinda getting ready to go to bed soon? Lol.

Okay well looks like voices are happening, so probably less focus on the anatomy for now. Let's hear some plot shit.

... okay, no, I can't get over the anatomy details. She should still be able to speak. Is she? (If not, I'm going to find Tamsyn Muir and subject her to a lengthy lecture on cranial nerves.)

(If any of you reading this are interested in a lecture on cranial nerves, well. It would go far beyond the scope of this liveblog. I'm only digging into this so much because I'm SUCH an anatomy nerd. I can expand on it if you ask nicely. hah)

Am I no longer Lyctor of the Great Resurrection, the second saint to serve the King Undying? Have I lost my rank among the Four—or, now, as I so horribly find, the Three? Am I not the last sister serving in a charnel house of dead sisters,

Ohhhh one of the old Lyctors. I've been dying to meet them, aside from Cytherea. I'm not sure who the other person is, (the other "voice" rather.)

Oh, just some guy. Now they're on the floor. The Lyctor - according to the Dramatis Personae, this is Mercymorn, most likely - has some impressive skills. I want to see more of her.

You were busy flexing the ragged end of your dorsal root—you had assumed it must have been severed, which would have been the simplest thing to do, but you realised all at once that it had been tied into a knot. It had been bowed out, twisted, and looped.

Lucky she's a Lyctor, with a Lyctor - otherwise, this sort of damage might not be easy to repair.

... Yeah okay I've focused a lot more on the anatomy than anything else. The chapter's barely gotten started. They just made it to an elevator.

Gonna leave it here for now though. I'm very tired.