#messy analysis

[mentally-ill-for-bes]

An analysis of Jayvik during season 2 bc what the hell was that

Or rambling about their parallels, character development and what I think is going next.

First, I haven't seen the three last episodes but I saw the spoiler of Viktor and Jayce scene. I'm going to watch the episodes with my friend next Wednesday, so I don't want any of you spoiling me ANYTHING else.

Spoilers below the cut.

That being said, this analysis will be mostly about first eps of season 2 and the scene of arc 2, why does it have sense and why it doesn't mean the ending of their friendship and why in this season they aren't just narrative foils but the force that move each other motivations.

First, 2nd season opening:

It's good to point out that their scenes in the intro are related; in the same way Jinx and Ekko are related, Vi and Cait (and Jinx) and Mel with Ambessa. They all are easily differentiable among them, Mel and Ambessa appear in yellowish tones, Jinx, Cait, Vi and Ekko appear under color lights but the theme bounding Viktor and Jayce is bright light.

When Jayce appears, he's immediately blinded by the light, he turns his face and squints his eyes but does not remove from his place. In contrast, when Viktor appears he's not being blinded by the light, he's not uncomfortable about it, instead, he faces it directly. When the mask is being put in his face, he accepts it, and even it looks like he's emitting the light. If the mask were emitting it, the fabric on Viktor's head would be lighted too; instead, the light is exclusively under the fabric. Viktor is literally shining. He's the light.

And Jayce during his cuts tries to reach the light but finds himself blinded by it; anyway, this doesn't stop him from extending his hand and trying to reach it.

And, at the same time, it's Jayce's hand putting the mask on, we already know why Jayce creates the Herald. But most importantly, putting on the mask means hiding Viktor's face and with it, covering the light.

At the end of the intro, Jayce does touch the light and he no longer sees blinded by it.

Important to notice the intro already makes clear that their stories are tightly intertwined; which isn't surprising since in season 1 it is evident Viktor is a huge motivation and conflict in Jayce's actions.

However, why is it important to notice that the intro makes a correlation between Viktor and being enlightened; first, light has an association with knowledge and wisdom. Second, already knowing the strong associations Viktor has with religious figures this season it is good to point out that Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” And as I pointed out before, Jayce is following the light.

When I saw the first act, I was pretty confused about the correlation between the intro and the episodes. Once Viktor is resurrected by Jayce, he isn't associated with light but darkness.

When he wakes up, there is light, but it's clearly different from the one in the intro. Viktor is surrounded by a strange light but his face isn't being illuminated.

Instead, he walks to the light where Jayce is.

It's in front of you, Jayce is at the side of the light while Viktor is at the side of the darkness. But why is he in the darkness when the into associates him with light? Because Viktor isn't the darkness, the Hexcore is. And in this scene what does represent it? The cocoon behind Viktor.

Another good thing to notice is the change in Viktor's eyes, he wears the (probably) same blanket he does in the trailer, but while the trailer emphasizes his yellow eyes. It's clear what's happening here, he's changed and isn't completely Viktor, when he wakes up his eyes are mostly yellow, but there's also this small white part? Blue? I can only describe it as the Hexcore color.

When he cures the little dude, you can even see how the Hexcore color expands on his pupils. He still has a yellow part in them, but they're slowly changing color. But I don't think Viktor is the one changing, I think is the Hexcore the one taking power over him.

But what happens just before he cures him?

THIS

Viktor is bathed in light while the rest of the place is dark.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Common guys, it was obvious this would end as a cult.

But why is this current change on Viktor and light? Why??? Just two seconds ago he split with Jayce and he was all in the dark, right?

My theory is that while Hexcore takes control and more dominion over him, Viktor finds light because he's helping people and it's like "hey, maybe this isn't that bad," but we already know that ANYTHING related to Hexcore is meant to be a catastrophe. Viktor may excuses its use for helping people while Jayce excuses its use for saving Viktor.

However, compared to how Viktor is showed through the intro I wasn't still convinced his light was about that.

And I mean, the light shown in the trailer for both Viktor and Jayce is white, different from the purple/pink that appears when he cures someone, his eyes are still clearly different. This scene does not represent Viktor but the arcane speaking through him, the purple and pink tones represent the arcane; and most importantly, the pattern its magic has.

Still, everything with that Viktor being the light didn't convinced me.

BECAUSE THAT VIKTOR ISN'T THE LIGHT, THE ONE ABOVE IS.

It's pretty clear, (sorry bad image quality, I got it from an edit and I'M NOT TOUCHING LAST 3 EPISODES IN NETFLIX, I WON'T GET MORE SPOILERS IF I CAN AVOID IT). The Viktor that is bent with the Arcane isn't the lightened Viktor, the one above is. He has yellow eyes (just as in the intro), and he's emitting a soft and pretty divine light. Compared to this:

His eyes aren't as yellow, and his hair is long and has lost color as a result of the arcane. They're evidently different. And I think that at some extent the show wants you to know they are different characters. Yes, his eyes are slightly yellow but let's remember he isn't entirely Viktor, it's also the Arcane.

And when he sees Jayce about to kill him, I think he looks surprised.

However.

The terror in his eyes, those aren't Viktor eyes, those are the Arcane's. All the freaky colors and the distortion. You can see how when he opens his eyes, it's Viktor who looks at him. But when he's facing his death, it's the Arcane being terrified.

How much does Arcane understand of emotions? I don't know, dude. But it and Viktor being mixed in a body surely gives it the ability to express something.

You may be thinking I am a little crazy about the eyes. But this is Arcane and the eyes are just important, animators put a lot of effort into emotion and facial expression and this means something.

When he dies, his eyes are both yellow and Arcane's color. They are both dying, yes.

But wtf happened with Jayce.

Well, I'll be back to this moment.

Jayce drinking tea with Heimerdinger and Ekko. His cup of "Man of the Progress" is there, but he did not drink from it.

The cup "Man of Progress" means a lot for Jayce's storytelling, it has his face on it goddammit. But it is also the cup that symbolizes his preference for the council and popularity over Viktor (because Viktor has always been a constant piece of conflict and motivation to act for Jayce). Instead, his drinking from a simple cup, not printed, he's turning back to his roots, being a scientist and stopping seeking greatness.

It also means a lot considering what he said to Viktor: "My place was here in the lab, with you." He gives up politics to be again an inventor and scientist. This scenes are pretty interesting when you consider during season one Jayce's biggest conflict is to be constantly swiping sides because he cannot stick to his true nature and has the need to be approved by everyone, which is by he doesn't use the cup anymore is important. He's rejecting the title to stick to his true self.

I also have to say that I wonder how this decision will affect his relationship with Mel, since she's pretty much the symbol of his political career while Viktor is the symbol of his academic one. Pursuing politics instead of the investigation is shown through their scene having sex while Viktor is heavily sick. Just to clarify: I HAVE NO HATE AGAINST HER, she and Jayce both worry about each other. But their relationship is planted pretty much as a political matter or as a tool for JayVik development. Literally season 2 biggest conflict in Jayce is Viktor and his only conversation with Mel is about he being worried about Viktor.

And well, Mel is her most boring (she still beautiful and interesting af but it's the least interesting part about her) when she's with Jayce. Just by seeing the trailer you can know her biggest conflict is about her mother and the black rose. Her narrative arc is pretty far away from Jayce's and I wonder how they will manage it.

And the wildest scene of the entire season: the Ashes and Blood one.

His hand tries to reach the Hexcore just as his hand tries to reach the light on the trailer. Or even more obvious, a clear parallel to Viktor, who reached his hand in the same way to reach the Hexcore and in consequence, he was consumed by it. Is this foreshadowing that Jayce will be consumed by the Arcane in the same way Viktor was? I'm 100% it is.

In fact, the whole scene is a parallel with Viktor dying and Jayce/Mel scene in season 1. Back then Viktor saw something in the Arcane, a possibility; in this scene, Jayce is seeing something, but we aren't sure what.

No matter what he sees, because he is also being corrupted by the arcane.

Look at the pattern on his wrist. Yes, the crystal is now on his skin but look how it has been disfigured by the arcane. Besides Jayce being corrupted it also means the corruption of his dream. And in consequence, I think that means the lost of an important part of his character: Hope.

The crystal symbolized his dream, yes, but it also symbolized his hope to make the world a better place. In season 1 when he tries jumping off after he has lost the research of his life is meant to be the loss of hope; which Viktor gives back (literally and metaphorically).

Here, he still has the crystal, but it has been corrupted by the arcane, and in consequence: the part that made Jayce a character who truly wanted to make the world a better place is corrupted too.

Focus on the eyes, people. When he looks at Viktor his face is completely changed but his eyes remain the same, brilliantly yellow unlike Viktor's.

And before he prepares his shot, the crystal shines. My first guest is that 100% there's something bigger influencing him. Probably the Arcane.

His weapon is evidently being corrupted by the arcane too.

And he's evidently actively fighting against something, the Arcane probably, since his face acquires its patron. Before I said I considered it was the Arcane who was scared of Jayce, since Viktor's eyes were emptied of any yellow color. But why the Arcane would be surprised if he's also corrupting Jayce.

My best guess is that Jayce is actively fighting against the Arcane and its influence to join it. What do I think? Jayce saw something in the Arcane tempting enough to want to join it but; at the same time, he saw something terrifying enough to decide it was not worth the risk. What do I think? Jayce did want to kill the Arcane, even if it meant killing Viktor too; and what he was fighting it's the Arcane itself trying to stop him.

I said it before, I haven't seen the last 3 episodes so if I'm terribly wrong I'll come back to apologize for my stupidity. But I have seen people confused about Jayce's motivation here and I think I might have a point.

And guys just look how his face changes from range to absolutely mysery-

You cannot say this man happily killed Viktor, he's about to cry.

And then Viktor lets go of that little thing I don't know what is called, but it symbolizes their shared dream.

There's a lot of angst about Viktor letting go of his dream. But I'm here to propose a more interesting question, why was he still clinging to it? In season 1 he makes clear Hexcore must be destroyed and he literally leaves Jayce when he realizes what he has done to keep him alive.

So why his change of mentality? Easy; because as I said before, he can justify the use of Arcane as long as he feels it's helping people.

I think he understands Arcane more than before, he's integrated into it and sees beauty in it. However Jayce also understands the Arcane better than him, but I think instead of finding beauty in it Jayce knows the horrific parts.

Look that the little thing I do not know what is called has a side completely corrupted while the other is briefly corrupted, my bet is that the corrupted side represents Viktor and the slightly corrupted represents Jayce.

So, why letting go of the dream is the right thing to do for Viktor's part and you shouldn't be sad about it? Because it has transformed into something unrecognizable, just as Viktor and Jayce. Letting go of the dream doesn't mean letting go of each other, since the series is clear they are part of each other. Letting go of the dream is letting go of the Arcane so they can keep themselves.

Why are they part of each other?

Easy, Viktor keeps the blanket Jayce gave him (even when he isn't able to feel coldness or warmth).

(BTW, in this scene Viktor stays in the light, and now is Jayce the one in darkness, I'm just saying).

And Jayce's whole outfit is about Viktor.

(Sorry shitty quality, I got it from a clip in Youtube because I'M NOT RISKING MYSELF TO SPOILERS)

His hammer is butterfly-shaped (so interesting both Jayce and Viktor have a scene as kids with the same butterfly and then the Arcane acquired a butterfly shape for a brief moment...); just look at his left leg, his hammer also resembles Viktor's crane and I might be crazy but I see some V's over there.

And also, even if I am crazy and I'm seeing stuff here it's always good to remember THIS:

I'm sorry but what was the need to parallel it so much? Idk why they do it but besides paralleling they also have to make characters close to Jayce to share moles in the same places as Viktor, Ambessa's twink resembles him a lot and has a mole on the cheekbone too, Mel it's harder to see because she has multiple but just as Viktor she has the one on the cheekbone and over the mouth. And, if I remember correctly, Jayce's mom has a mole on the cheekbone too. Every time I think I'm a little crazy about them I remember that and I'm like "nah, I'm totally right about everything." If they parallel this again in season 2 I'm not going to be surprised.

What do I expect from Arc 3? Viktor and Jayce's fight, against the Arcane. I think narratively it would be the ultimate conflict they have to face. They both were irresponsible with stuff they couldn't completely understand and it would be a nice conclusion to their arcs. Jayce has already decided to abandon politics which is a nice development, but he still hasn't faced the consequences of playing with the Arcane and Viktor either. If there's a fight against each other I'd understand where it comes from but their story would feel unconcluded, none of them have faced the consequences of playing with the arcane, not really. They have both faced shitty things but no consequences for fooling with magic and I think the most satisfying conclusion for their story would be to face to face and stop their creation together.

Maybe I'll change my opinion once I see the last episodes, but until that moment I think a fight between Viktor and Jayce would make lost what has been said all the series: The Arcane shouldn't be played with. Maybe they will enemies but their common enemy is the Arcane.

Before that I expect Viktor and Jayce to save each other again; as in season 1 but this time they're mutually saving from the Arcane's influence. At least Viktor to Jayce; since Jayce looks to be the most fucked up mentally, following again all the symbolism of Jayce reaching the light and Viktor being the light.

I wanted to analyze the religious iconography surrounding Viktor too and why even if he's supposed to represent Jesus and Jayce is supposed to represent Iscariot (though I don't think Viktor is always meant to represent Jesus only) neither means a bad thing. Jesus already knew Judas was going to betray him and he did not hate him for that, he loved him till the end (as he did with the rest of humanity). There are some texts (too tired to cite) that imply Jesus asked Judas to betray him and Judas, as a last act of total devotion, obeyed him.

Idk, just tell me if you'd like a religious analysis (probably after I have ended with the last three episodes, till then I do not want a word about what happened in the show).

[most-definitively-a-human]

Wondering why some people love books/movies/ that don't care about them.

Might be: because they have to work to love it and soup tastes better when you cook it yourself.

(Sorry for the mixed metaphor - can't think of a better way to phrase things.)

Might be: If the author is indifferent to you the plot is harder to predict and they enjoy the novelty/unpredictability. Books which mean to give you satisfaction are typically very predictable in certain ways:

What would be most thematic happens. What would be most satisfying happens. Checkov's gun fires. Foreshadowing follows. Promises fulfilled.

But if the author doesn't care for you, you can't know. They might break their promises. They might not make any promises in the first place. And finding enjoyment in a story like that - a story not meant to be loved - can bring a type of strange, visceral joy that stories made for the reader can't give.

[sootyships]

d+v word-initially v+d word-finally VdV internally d+la obv allowed shaadlar only instance of dl outside of d+la l+d in compounds only (tal'din, presumably keldab) rd in werd etc well attested word-internally and finally dr in dral etc, word-initial only nd well attested word-internally +dha

conversely, lt is not attested at all tV initially, Vt finally, VtV internally tl only in di'kut+la tr word-initial + internal rt internal only st initial&internal str initial only ts initial… sort of internal? oritsir seems to be ori+tsir (or ori+Vtsir), and bui'tsad etc are clearly compounds tn only in jate+ne and bat+norac, but clearly allowed since not *jatene nt word-internal ONLY (hence coruscanta, not coruscant) ht in gaht

dn not attested, d with sibilants not attested, not even cy+d or sh+d t also not attested with suhuäässä sounds

ad and at abt as common et is SIGNIFICANTLY more common than ed it is more common than id but neither is super common ot is much more common that od and vod accounts for a ton of ods ut and ud look abt as common yt exists, yd doesnt ta is more common than da te is slightly more common than de ti slightly more common than di to slightly more common than do du a bit more common than tu ty more common than dy

now im starting to wonder if d isnt just on its way out, but it'll prolly stick around long due to common words like ad and vod

but yeh no real patterns i can spy either

have u noticed any patterns in mando'a between t/d and to a lesser degree between b/v and v/w that would map to what traviss said about their occasional interchangeability or whatever?

This is an excellent question but no, not really. I have a collection of miscellaneous observations and a ream of notes but no systematic analysis or a coherent theory about it.

Here are some random thoughts from the top of my head:

- w does not occur in a word-final position (iirc not syllable-final either), whereas v is common there

- I have a theory that e.g. traat and dral might actually come from the same root (ie traat is related to dral rather than tra, unless all of those are related—the whole word family is interesting; might do a separate post later), so there’s one d/t alternation but it’s the same environment so there doesn’t seem to be a systematic difference?

- I’ve also played around with the idea that Concordian tat might be related to ad rather than vod, but there’s just no way to tell.

- We talked about the -nn in some words possibly representing a lost syllable (-an or -ne), but I’ve also thought that vhett might similarly be vhet-ad.

- There’s also b/v e.g. beroya might be be-roya (of-hunt) or more compellingly, ver-oya (earn/pay-hunt) & veman could be be-maan (of-original) or vut-maan with a vowel change (but that feels awkward). The first morpheme of ve’vut and veshok could perhaps also be be?

- I actually do have a hypothesis about vowel changes, though it’s very much a general idea rather than an analysis at this point. But basically all the documented vowel changes tend towards vowel raising.

If any of the e.g. t/d correspondences were regular (conditioned by their environment e.g. voicing between other voiced segments), we might be able to pick them out. But frankly, if they are I haven’t been able to tell (unlike e.g. the case of c being pronounced as k/s/sh which is regular or close enough).

So as an explanation, I’m leaning towards something like some (historic) Mando’a dialect underwent certain sound changes, some of those words got loaned into other dialects, and as a result, we have related words with both e.g. t and d. Kind of like English has related words with a hard k (e.g. camera from Latin) and a ch (e.g. chamber via French) which ultimately derive from the same root.

From a conlanging perspective, I kind of like this idea because it would allow us to make our own similarly random sound changes and get related words/concepts that don’t all look exactly alike. It’s kind of a poor man’s sound changes kind of a deal, but since no one’s worked backwards to reconstruct Archaic Mando’a… (and I’m not volunteering; working backwards from what already exists is a headache.)

If you have different ideas or anything to add, please share! I’d love some more input or a fresh perspective.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

My Lawyer is going to Get Your Ass.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[ironunderstands]

Sunday’s worldview sucks, his outlook and perception of himself and others sucks… and that’s why he’s so interesting

In honor of his drip marketing releasing tonight (or maybe yesterday for you depending on when I get this out), I’d like to talk about why I think Sunday’s beliefs and perspective is very, very flawed and how his own biases rather than the actions of those who oppose him are what led to his downfall.

Sunday is entirely responsible for his own failure, and that’s exactly why he’s incredible.

This contains mentions of leaks and spoilers for the Penacony quest line… you have been warned

To start with, oh my lord do Sunday’s preconceived notions kick him in the ass. 

I think the best example of this is his conversation with Dr. Ratio in which Ratio pretends to betray Aventurine, selling out his plan to Sunday. Now, what’s incredibly interesting about this exchange is that Ratio doesn’t fully lie to Sunday once in this exchange, rather he says half truths and makes vague statements which Sunday himself interprets as being in support of him. 

Take what Ratio said the whole, “A scholar knows their position and wouldn’t forsake it for the sake of petty pride.” In retrospect, we know this line is actually referring to Aventurine- aka Ratio is saying he’s not just going to sell him out to Sunday for the sake of information about the Stellaron (which he would get anyways if the IPC attained Penacony, plus Mr. Incredibly Dedicated Knowledge Spreader probably has other means of gaining it then through The Family). 

However, since Ratio answered the invitation Sunday gave him, Sunday assumes that Ratio is on his side, believes his cause is righteous, and that he won Ratio over with offering him information about the Stellaron, therefore making that previous statement of Ratio’s null, because Sunday interpreted it as, “convince me this is worth my time + prove to me you’re correct,” when it really meant, “there is no way in hell I’m about to sacrifice my friend to you, and there is nothing you could offer me to make me do so you crazed lunatic.”

But why did Sunday not weigh the options? Why did he unquestioningly believe his perception of the situation was the correct one?

Well- partly it’s because Ratio and Aventurine were doing their damndest to make it seem like they hate each other and that their plan was going off the rails.

But the more important part is that even without Ratio saying a word or even accepting the invitation, Sunday already believes he’d be on his side. 

Let me demonstrate this through Sunday's perspective:

I am a righteous person, I am doing the correct things, my worldview is the correct one. Dr. Ratio is also a righteous person who seems to be doing the correct things. Therefore, since we are both on the side of good, and Aventurine is clearly not on that side considering his status as Stoneheart and his negative relationship to Ratio, then Ratio will naturally want to be on my side. After all, the good guys work together, do they not?- and together will vanquish this evil villain.

This perspective is a simple one, but Sunday’s unshaking belief (up until the end of 2.2) that he is 100% in correct and in the right, that any and everyone who he also perceives to be in the right (like Ratio) would believe/side with him without truly needing to be convinced. Sunday doesn’t come out the gate offering the Stellaron information- he only keeps it as a backup just in case. 

However, this is complicated because Sunday is also not an idiot, and he’s extremely paranoid, so he’s going to make sure that the way he views the world is 100% correct on the off chance he’s wrong which could foil his plans- which is why he invited Ratio in the first place. Nevertheless, this isn’t him hunting for new perspectives, but rather him desiring to prove himself right again, which is a bad thing because Sunday is very much not right. 

A perfect world is a perfect pris- *gets shot*

Reference that approximately 2 ½ people will get beside, Sunday’s ideology that he is fully confident in.. sucks. It sucks ass, it’s terrible, and let me explain.

I’m not going to try going over all the little intricacies to how the dreamscape works because I a) don’t know and b) don’t particularly care because they aren’t relevant to the argument I will be making- which is that Sunday’s ideology is inherently flawed and immediately falls apart under scrutiny.

Essentially, he desires to create the perfect fake reality, enveloping the whole galaxy in Ena’s dream and fulfilling their every desire and whim within it, with himself as the sacrifice to allow it to exist. The seven rest days, no illness, no pain, no challenge, you get the idea. 

And, this perfect world paradoxically sucks ass because of its perfectness.

Improving society is great, eliminating hardship is great, increasing quality of life is great.

But declawing reality itself- absolutely not.

I’m going to try to explain this through my favorite strangely specific anecdote- the process of obtaining diamonds in Minecraft.

Stay with me now.

You essentially have two options- go out and mine them yourselves the hard way, which takes hours, gives you less diamonds per the amount of time spent on it, and likely with you exhausting some of your resources like food, torches, and tools which you will need to replenish.

Or.

You can just.. get them from creative mode or commands, and you can get as many as your heart desires.

However, despite the fact that option one is harder, gives you less diamonds and takes significantly more time, I, as well as hopefully you, would pick it every time (at least in a survival world, although honestly idk why you would even need pure diamonds in creative).

And that’s because the first option is rewarding. 

You did not earn the diamonds you easily and magically summoned into your inventory, there is no struggle, no journey, no challenge to it, therefore it feels entirely unremarkable, as compared to the feeling you (hopefully) get from mining diamonds, which makes you happy because you earned it. Yeah, it was harder, but the process itself is fun- the anticipation of not knowing when you’re going to find them, if at all, the danger, the fighting and digging and mauvering you will have to do in the process.

And with this unconventional example, the fatal flaw with Sunday’s ideology is revealed- it’s boring. 

It’s boring as shit.

Yeah, for the first few months or even years it might be enjoyable- having everything you could ever want served on a silver platter. However, humans are a) inherently a bit greedy and b) desire challenge, and this scenario fulfilles neither of those things. Naturally having everything means your desire for more can never be fulfilled, leaving the wanter forever unsatisfied, whereas in the real world, things are truly out of your reach, meaning that even if you never end up getting them, they are still a tangible thing just out of reach… as strange at it sounds, we like being tantalilus-ed more than you think. After all, if what you want is so easy to get, you will never run out of things to want, and eventually that gets draining. 

Continually, if everything is easy, if everything is just right there whenever you want it- existence itself no longer has stakes. 

And that’s the problem, because much like how a story with no stakes is extremely hard to find compelling, a life with no stakes feels boring at best and downright pointless and meaningless at worst.

I’m just saying, there is a reason why the Nihility was such a strong presence and problem in Penacony.

Anyways, like with the diamond problem, a lack of stakes means that nothing you do feels rewarding, because you didn’t truly earn it. 

Which is where the Sunday’s idea of a “perfect” reality falls apart, because the most enjoyable reality for humans to live in is not one literally devoid of any possible flaw.

So why does he believe in it? When it’s so clearly flawed?

Well, it’s because Sunday doesn’t think a better alternative exists.

The world made you this way.. and you chose to continue what it started.

I’m sure I don’t need to repeat the story of the Charmony Dove all over again because trust me, we’ve all heard it before. Nonetheless, it reveals something important both about Sunday’s personality and his ideology- he’s fundamentally a defeatist.

He doesn’t believe that there is any alternative for the dove, that it could ever be able to fly again with its deformed nature, so instead of being “cruel” and letting it “inevitably fall to its death,” he’d rather keep it in a cage all its life where it has no freedom, but at least it would he alive and “happy”.

And this is where his defeatism reveals itself- Sunday doesn’t believe reality itself can get better because improving it when there are so many factors and things out of your control is hard at best and impossible at worst. Therefore, he resorts to creating an escapist, false version of it- a perfect golden cage, because constructing that is far, far easier than trying to help the dove fly again. 

The universe has endless possibilities, if Robin and Sunday had tried hard enough, they probably could have found a solution. Sure, they were both children, so the capabilities necessary to even attempt that were likely far out of their reach. However, it was still possible, but Sunday doesn’t believe in possibilities- he believes he’s right above all else, which is where that stubbornness and arrogance comes into play again.

Sunday doesn’t think better solutions than his exists, and he believes everyone would could possibly stand in his noble way are either villains, or horribly misguided; so it’s his job to show them the light.

This is why he lets the Express Crew + Firefly try to change his mind- Sunday wasn’t actually interesting in shifting his perspective, or really what they wanted to say. Rather, he just wanted to let them say there peace, because well, Sunday’s a good, righteous person (at least from his perspective), and good, righteous people listen to others. Good, righteous people will let these poor, ignorant souls offer their foolish words before exposing them to the harsh truth- or at least that’s how Sunday sees it. 

Moreover, this also explains his arrogance. If he believes his worldview is the sole correct one, then why listen to anyone else? He’s this world's savior, or at least he’s been raised to believe that- so why not relish in it? He enjoys punishing Aventurine, enjoys the bastard who stood in the way of Sunday’s plans, shrinks away in “defeat” and get what he “deserves.” Despite how miserable it sounds, Sunday also takes pride in having to be a martyr to bring about his beautiful dream. The belief that he is a selfless, good person is a selfish desire of his, even if a genuine one, and it’s what leads to his downfall.

Sunday could have actually listened. He could have reevaluated his loss to Aventurine and realized it was not through the others clever deception, but through his own biases. He could have actually taken the Express’s and Firefly’s advice. He could have looked for other avenues to help the people he truly does care about. 

Despite Gopher Wood’s manipulation- Sunday’s decision to go forward with the pain is entirely his own, because he truly believes- even with all the evidence for the contrary- that he is correct.

And that’s why he fails. Not because of the Express. Not because of Ratio. Not because of Aventurine. Not because of Gopher, or even the rest of The Family.

No, Sunday fails because he is flawed, and he is wrong, and he is the arrogant, selfish and biased one, and his worldview is wrong.

So what now?

This might have seemed like I think Sunday is pure evil and irredeemable, but I think it’s quite the opposite.

He has very good intentions, and he does genuinely care about it the well being of other people around him. He gives Aventurine a chance to prove his innocence, even if he never intended on changing, he does listen to what the Express + Firefly have to say. He pauses when Robin shows up, as she’s the one person (until the very end) he’s actually willing to accept the perspective of. The whole reason he ended up here in the first place is because Gopher Wood twisted Sunday’s good intentions into a fatal arrogance and utmost belief in a flawed worldview. 

However, what really sells me on Sunday’s goodness is when eyes widen at that final moment, the light draining from him as he realizes he is wrong. 

And once Sunday realizes he is wrong, those flaws that bind him can finally be examined and improved upon, as they all stem from that worldview he no longer believes in. 

His whole life, Sunday has been enacting out someone else’s plan for him, even if he’s come to internalize it over time, at the end of the day- it was never his, and without it, he’s empty.

Which is exactly why the only place he can go now is the Express, and the only thing left for him is redemption and growth.

Dan Heng is right- Sunday has a noble soul, and now that he has stopped believing in himself, he’s no longer shackled by the past either. Improvement or utter demise (in a likely nihility-flavored manner) are his only options remaining.

I understand a lot of people want to see him become a Stellaron Hunter, but imo, that just does nothing for him. He’d still be following someone else’s path/script, and Mr. I Will Sacrifice My Whole Existence To Become The Sun To Illuminate These Wandering Souls probably wouldn’t be so on board with the whole.. terrorism part of being a SH. Like yeah, they are our friends (kinda), but they absolutely kill innocent people and cause millions of dollars in property damage to people who don’t deserve it. 

Also, being on the Express Just Makes Sense. This is a game about choices, a game about accepting the mistakes of your past, but not letting them define you in order to move on and forge a better future for yourself and others- with the Astral Express + Trailblaze as a concept being the literal embodiment of it. There’s a reason when you switch to the Trailblazer’s POV in stories, it includes Kafka’s most important words to us- “When you have the chance to make a choice, make one you won’t regret.”

Therefore, I hope the choices Sunday will make in 2.7 are ones he’s proud of, and I can’t wait to see how exactly they get him on board with the crew, because there still is a LOT of development he needs to do before then. 

Anyways, thank you so much for reading, and if you have any thoughts I’d love to hear them. This was a stream of consciousness mess, but I hope it was still valuable nonetheless! Also if you are reading this on the day it was written, I hope we don’t get disappointed by his drip marketing!

[madbard]

While listening to Epic, I noticed an interesting pattern with how antagonists are portrayed, and how Odysseus’ interactions with them are coded.

In Epic, the monsters Odysseus faces are rarely fighting for their own sake. Polyphemus attacks Odysseus’ crew to avenge his sheep, and Poseidon destroys his ships as revenge for his son’s suffering. Similarly, Circe only threatens Odysseus to protect her nymphs. Odysseus does not kill any of these enemies, and while he is occasionally criticized for letting them go free, the overall implication is that he did the right thing by sparing them.

Then we hit the Thunder Saga, and Odysseus begins his arc as a ‘monster’ by killing the sirens. His actions here are brutal, and whether or not they are justified is, I think, up to the listener. However, it’s significant that the sirens are the first foes Odysseus faces on his journey who aren’t either defending or avenging what they love. They attack unprovoked, and while Odysseus’ method of execution is gory, he is never punished for it by other characters within the narrative. Apollo is the only one to protest, and even he is swayed easily when Athena says (among other things) that the sirens were “trying to do him worse.” The sirens attacked first, and while Odysseus’ response was ‘monstrous,’ his crew obeyed his commands and he was not challenged or ostracized for giving said commands. He is only treated as a monster when he yields to Scylla, who also attacked without provocation.

Thus, in Epic, the monsters fighting to protect or avenge their loved ones are protected by the very story - killing them may be more convenient, but it isn’t the answer. However, the monsters who attack without provocation, for their own amusement or satisfaction, do not receive such respect. Killing them is acceptable, and cooperating with them is monstrous.

By this logic, Odysseus is justified in his actions, however atrocious. He attacks to protect his family, and therefore deserves mercy.

The suitors, on the other hand…

[risestarkiss]

Rise Ramblings #596

How Donnie thinks he sneezes:

"Ah, ah, ah, sneeze!"

How he actually sneezes:

"...Achooie!"

[tentacle-therapissed]

After Roman says ‘I thought I was your hero’ and Thomas says, ‘you are’, Roman looks over to Janus and Janus nods.

Janus just told everyone his real name moments ago in order to prove that he is both capable of sincerity and willing to be honest with the other Sides so they can start seeing eye to eye. His glove is still off and he is currently in an uncharacteristically vulnerable position that he willingly put himself in. He nods to Roman as if to say "Yes, as the person intrinsically in tune with Thomas’s lying, I can confirm he is telling the truth."

But Roman is looking at Janus as the embodiment of Thomas’s deceit. He’s so used to being played and manipulated by Janus’s lies and faux camaraderie and has now become so on edge that he can’t understand how anyone else could possibly trust anything Janus is saying. He sees the nod as a confirmation that c!Thomas was lying about Roman being his hero and scoffs in shock and betrayal.

c!Thomas looks utterly bewildered at this reaction,

and Janus's smile fades as he realizes how Roman interpreted the nod.

And when Patton says 'we love you', Roman assumes that's a lie too. In the Puzzle Song Roman needs to be reassured that no one hates him, heavily implying this is an underlying insecurity of his. Assuming this is the case, it wouldn't take much for him to believe Patton's 'we love you' meant just the opposite.

Roman's self esteem is so fragile that he takes the others listening to Janus personally. Because if Janus was right, that means Roman made the wrong call in sentencing Thomas to the wedding and doomed them all. If Janus was right, that means he let Thomas down- and it was revealed in Am I Original that Roman is terrified of letting Thomas down.

So now he's convinced (and let's be real, Janus's dig at him for making mistakes didn't help) that he isn't Thomas's hero anymore. Devastating stuff :)

[fumifooms]

Chilchuck analysis speedrun: As a hardworking half-foot who grew up poor and discriminated against and had his gullibility taken advantage of multiple times in his early adventuring days, Chilchuck thinks optimism is a dangerous flaw. He’s stressed and strict all the time because his job is noticing details like traps that could get everyone killed before anyone knows it, he takes the lives of everyone to be on his shoulders, and with the way he speaks about it that probably partly reflects how he felt about taking it upon himself to provide for his family too. His life’s always been pretty centered around work and has become even moreso now that his wife left and everyone is independent, and due to past events he’s very iffy with bonding with coworkers. He thinks feelings and job are a disaster mix. Like with his wife or with parties hiring him as sacrifice, being open or having good faith is vulnerability which can get you hurt, so he processes and shows all his stress as anger instead of worry. Doing strict dieting probably isn’t helping the irritability what with hunger, and on top of being a hunger suppressant alcohol might be the main stress reliever he has.

His grey hairs are so earned

[moonscradle]

SOTE SPOILERS:

here's a ten page analysis i did on alchemy and its relation to miquella & malenia, trina & miquella, marika & radagon etc. it's messy but i was really determined with this one 💀

[mochiajclayne]

Okay we all know that I love Five Kage Summit arc but what's interesting is about what happened NEXT after Naruto and Sasuke talked under that bridge. Naruto went ahead and told his friends that he'd handle Sasuke alone and naturally their reactions were how can you expect us to agree with that, we can't give in to your stubbornness, and it's pretty much an issue for the village and Naruto is like nope I'm not being stubborn and Kiba really called him out like thought you'd give us the details but I did not expect it to be this, we all made up our minds to kill Sasuke then Shikamaru really hit the nail in the coffin like you say that you'll take Sasuke alone when you're actually planning on protecting him. Naruto is like no intentions to protect Sasuke here and Neji is like Sasuke was weak at the time so why didn't you take him out and Sakura defended Naruto by saying that Madara was there then Kiba says you're a hero dude you can take him down like you did with Pain and Naruto sullenly replied that he wouldn't be able to defeat Sasuke the way that he currently is and then Choji is like what is it that you found out then Naruto fucking proceeds NOT TO EXPLAIN FURTHER and persistently says that no one should take Sasuke on and HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN FIGHT HIM as if that explanation would satisfy everyone (it doesn't) and keeps on giving them the runaround as he would tell them when the time comes. Even Sakura who was there when it happened has been mentally deliberating about what's Naruto has been hiding.

Now the interesting part is Naruto could've just explained WHY. Neji would've understood where he's speaking from as he also dealt with darkness, Shikamaru would at least try to see his point in sheer rationality making the others see his perspective but HE DOESN'T. It was a choice. Might be speaking out of the box here but with the way that everyone collectively decided to kill Sasuke behind his back, it was like a slap in the face realization for Naruto that no one really understands Sasuke like he does. And no amount of explanation would convince them otherwise--he wasn't exactly protecting Sasuke but he won't let them kill him either because killing him won't save Sasuke from his hatred. Naruto never intended to exist in a world where Sasuke dies and he made that clear in the bridge. People around them would look at their relationship like they're fucking insane but what's amusing about it is they never explained their bond to others--how can you even put into words the connection that transcends even the ninja system that fosters hatred and pain? And how can you expect the same people that unconsciously adheres to the same system to understand that?

[sainteclectic]

the thing that's vital to understand about cccc is that they have reasons for what they do. but also, and this is important, they all kinda suck

mind is doing what he believes is best for them. he wants to be the perfect solution to every problem. he's also arrogant and incredibly petty, gloating and bitching every chance he gets about how much better he is than heart. he pretends his own feelings are just logical conclusions, while also devaluing other people's feelings. he sucks!

heart was never listened to by mind. he knows he's "weak and vile" but believes (rightfully!) that emotions are needed to survive. he also literally shot someone, refuses to admit that literally shooting someone is bad, and stubbornly both complains he's not listened to and never listens to anyone else. he sucks!

soul is exhausted. he's gone through this countless times, enduring the same arguments over and over. he just wants it to stop. so, he exerts as much power as he can over the two of them and threatens their lives. he's simultaneously both the most in control (of the three) and powerless (in the narrative), and he tries to control the other two for his own ends (even if those ends are ultimately good for them all). he sucks!

the story of cccc is ultimately about guys who kinda fucking sucks for their own reasons. the story is about the raw, unsanitized experience of mental illness. of course they're all deeply fucked up! removing their flaws is just re-sanitizing the purposeful mess that is the album and its characters

[calmlb]

what if i want to get you started on the symbolism of dazais coat

(the neurodivergency does not allow me to understand the symbolism of dazais coat.)

(from the 'chuuyas not in the dark era' post)

NEURODIVERGENTS UNITE 🤝🏻

well i was actually referring to Chuuya’s coat in that post, but it’s relevant to both to them!

i’ve noticed a trend with harukawa & coats… when someone is where they’re supposed to be, they usually wear their coat properly (arms in the sleeves instead of it resting on their shoulders)

Dazai never wore the oversized, black coat that Mori gave him properly… as if to symbolize that he’d never belonged in the mafia. once he decided to try living in the light, he got his tan coat, which fits him perfectly :’)

beast Dazai does wear the black coat correctly, bc the mafia is where he chose to be in that universe

then we have Chuuya. he had his jacket in the sheep, but until sometime pre-dark era/post dragon head conflict, he didn’t have a coat— as if he was still trying to find his place in the mafia

i have a hc/theory according to my analysis that something happened post DHC that made skk much closer. if that’s true, it would make sense why we finally see Chuuya wearing a coat— & not only that, he has it halfway on

bc his partnership with Dazai solidified his place in the mafia, & assuming that Dazai would be there indefinitely, Chuuya was probably (subconsciously) starting to solidify the mafia as where he’s supposed to be

but then Dazai left. and the next time we see Chuuya, he’s still wearing his coat (he did decide that the mafia is his family, after all) but he’s not wearing it properly, it hangs off of his shoulders

this could symbolize that the mafia isn’t where Chuuya is meant to be— that maybe in the future, he’ll leave & find His Place (or perhaps he’ll wander & never find it)

only time will tell…

but that’s my version of The Coats Theory :’)

(ps: notice how Chuuya wears a jacket that fits him when he works with Dazai in the meursault arc… 👀 we’ll have to wait & see if this means anything)

honorable mention for Akutagawa who also properly wears his coat— symbolizing that the mafia is most likely where he’s supposed to be. however the fact that he’s no longer wearing his coat in chapter 120 (having gotten a new outfit) shows us that he’s having an important moment in his character arc :’)

[kyouka-supremacy]

In vol 13, at the end of chapter 52, Akutagawa says to Atsushi "...Hmph. Nothing special about that. I suppose he's far crueler than my own mentor."

If you don't mind, I'd like to know what is your take on its meaning

THANK YOU, I love this ask. I think that little line is so so meaningful, because it gives us additional insight on what Akutagawa and Dazai's relationship is like and on Akutagawa’s feelings towards Dazai. There’s so much nuance to it, because it makes Akutagawa aware. So often in fancontent Akutagawa is completely oblivious to Dazai's abuse, utterly blinded to Dazai's cruelness. But he's not!!! He's not!!! And it's suchhhh an eye-opener line about his character. Because, you know what? Akutagawa actually understands Dazai deeply. Way more than one would guess upon first impression. And the reason of that is because Akutagawa and Dazai are ultimately similar: they're both the “doing evil” to Atsushi and Chuuya's “doing good”¹.

Akutagawa comes close to understanding Dazai: I think during the time they spent together in the pm he got intimately acquainted with a side of Dazai no one else knows, for better or worse. I even think that since Dazai thought so lowly of Akutagawa, he didn't spare the same effort for putting masks on for him as much as he did with everyone else; as consequence, Akutagawa ended up seeing sides of Dazai that Dazai rarely revealed to other people. And I'm not talking exclusively about bad sides, but also vulnerable sides, fecets that overall he doesn't usually let emerge.

This mutual understanding - and isn't that a surprising sentence by its own! The understanding is mutual, doesn't go only in one direction, Akutagawa actually understands Dazai plenty – comes from a similarity between the two that, I've said many times before, is likely source to Dazai's otherwise unexplained cruelness towards Akutagawa. In Akutagawa's dark, bottomless, empty eyes, Dazai sees his own, and he utterly hates how Akutagawa embodies everything that's despicable in himself, the same emptiness, the same void. In the end, they both want to find a reason to live, while also being highly suicidal.

When I say “understands”; it's not about understanding what goes through Dazai's mind (that would be, for comparison, what Dostoyevsky gets closer to do); for Akutagawa it's a more instinctive understanding induced by their closeness, their similarity, their sharing the same sentiment of struggle in finding an explanation for the act of existing. The “can you give me a reason to live” from The Heartless Cur that counts for the both of them.

They're the same, and that's how Akutagawa can get Dazai, deeply. That line reveals exactly that! “Dazai is plenty cruel himself”. Akutagawa knows Dazai isn't a good man; but that's a separate thing from wanting his approval. It's not only this line; this understanding Dazai of Akutagawa is, I believe, reiterated consistently (if subtly) in the manga. It's in “You know [what mafia is like] better than anyone else” from chapter 4 and it's in “It'd take more than that to kill the man” from chapter 35 and it's in the way he talks about Dazai in chapter 51. It's in “There's no way you're dead. You are somewhere here in Yokohama. I just know it.” from the Entrance Exam light novel. When in Dead apple he says that Dazai joined the enemy, he's wrong; but if you ask me, that shows how Akutagawa understands the potential of the darkness within Dazai's soul better than Atsushi (but at the same time fails to see the possible goodness in him, because Port Mafia Dazai is what Akutagawa has ever known). I feel like all these moments are symptomatic of Akutagawa understanding Dazai on a level that's way deeper than others.

TL;DR: That line is so important to understand the depth of Dazai and Akutgawa's relationship because it shows how much Akutagawa gets Dazai, making of Akutagawa a much more cognizant character when it comes to Dazai than what one may think!

More on Akutagawa and Dazai's relationship: (1) (2) (3)

¹ Chuuya is the good half of the skk duo. It's just that whereas Atsushi does good in a more general sense, Chuuya's acting is mostly lead by willingness to do what's good for the Port Mafia. Still, both Atsushi and Chuuya act on way more altruistic basis than Akutagawa and Dazai do, am I wrong?

[damiel-of-real]

always been very interesting to me how noelle's themes are named in the deltarune soundtrack.

her tracks are "girl next door" and "lost girl", and both of these names moreso describe her role in the story and how she relates to the other characters rather than describing her actual character. she wouldn't even describe HERSELF that way. she can't just be noelle, because she needs to be your friendly neighbour, the number 2 in berdly's ideal world, queen's "New Knight", the angel with the tattered wings. it takes until the end of chapter 2 for her to break this idea, and only with queen and berdly.

this also contrasts with susie's themes, too. "Susie" and "Vs Susie". while she has titles put on her, they're all ones she takes willingly. she isn't as constrained by the roles put on her. she's the scary bully, and a self proclaimed "bad guy", but isn't she also a hero, and your best friend? it makes sense why noelle is so drawn to her.

[en-stbc]

i've seen enough people crying over this uzi sacrifice scene in ep7 but i don't think enough people actually analyzes esp uzi and N's character (atleast from what i've seen??) and my god i need to rant because this scene the more i watch it the more it ABSOLUTELY destroys me (save me nuzi save me...)

messy rant incoming...

alright, quick recap of the characters so i can later explain my points better

pilot uzi had no one to rely on, treated as a freak by her community, neglected by her father and overall completely isolated with the world. She had no one but herself, that's why she never allows herself to show any vulnerabilities so people won't take advantage of her and literally dismisses her own feelings and coping mechanisms as "angsty hormonal teen feelings" and developed a inferiority complex of wanting to prove herself and be recognized. Meeting N was more than just a change of trajectory in her life, he helped her in so, SO many ways from making her realize that her feelings are validated and it's okay to lean on others when you need it the most, to be vulnerable- something that she desperately needed but was never provided- to helping her just.. overall improve herself and promise that he'll always be there when she needs him the most. N is so integral in uzi's life, all she needed was someone to understand her, and there he was.

meanwhile N is always treated as a worthless nobody by people around him which is very evident in the pilot with his interactions between J and V. He clearly has issues when it comes to his own self worth and completely robbed of autonomy. All he ever wanted was to be useful and seen by others, which leads to him going along with other's insane crazy ideas without questioning morals and rights or wrongs. Uzi was the one that helped him find a ground he can stand on and finally being able to defend himself and what he thinks is worth protecting, as well as being a genuine friend he can finally talk and bond with after being ignored for so long.

and back to the scene. The reason why this scene hurts so much for me is that uzi finally found someone so important to her that she's willing to sacrifice herself and thanked N for "everything" he's ever done. He gave her everything that she could possibly ask for, she was content. Uzi even used her solver powers to push N away to make sure he wasn't in danger or an attempt to save her. The fact that she even thanked N, making it sounds like her final words to him implies that she was okay with dying and giving up her own life just really says how much N meant to her. She couldn't have done all of this without meeting him, to be selfless and sacrifice yourself for someone you truly love.

for N he's probably absolutely devastated, especially after V's sacrifice the ep before. Both of his closest friends sacrificed also for the sake of saving him, he literally could not do anything but watch them disappear in front of him. He'd probably blame himself so much for failing to save them and the fact that he has self harm tendencies every time he makes a mistake... N is definitely VERY TRAUMATIZED from this and also needs time to heal as well.

overall im very normal about nuzi these 2 will be the death of me i love them so much. both of them meeting each other was the best thing that ever happened to them and watching them grow and develop is so 😭😭😭

have a good day thank you so much for reading this very messy rant and bare with my very limited vocabulary if you did... ;3