#the parallels and similarities between them!!!

[thepepsicolafams-blog]

Everyone is talking about the parallels between this new chapter of BSD (Chapter 121) and BSD Beast.

Before in the last few chapters (Chapters 115 - 120.5) were compared to the BSD Novel “STROMBRINGER”— specifically of how both Atsushi and Chuuya had lost close members that they considered friends and family to a power Ability Users that knows way more about them then they know themselves and wants them to themselves for reason yet to be known.

But now in this current chapter though, it parallels to the BEAST universe with Atsushi and fear.

Here we have “Hallucination Dazai(?)” talk to Atsushi about how he never needed to be ‘brave’ or ‘strong’ to get stuff done or fight what he fears.

The chapter talks about fight fire with fire— or in this case fear with fear as “Hallucination Dazai(?)” directs Atsushi’s attention away from how scared he is to fight Ame No Gozen to save Akutagawa because it was way he had lost a great portion of his friends/family—to the now fear losing whatever now remains of his family and friends with Lucy and Kyouka still waiting for him in the ‘Anne Room’.

This fear turns into motivation that makes him keep fighting.

Somewhat similarly, this is also seen in BSD BEAST of how BEAST!Atsushi used his fear of pain, suffering and specifically Death to become the Port Mafia’s White Reaper.

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And this is just my thoughts so feel free to just skip this, but I find it interesting that this is not the first time something like this happened. Every time we saw “Hallucination Dazai” previous it said the same if not similar things to Atsushi.

I get that it's in his head, that's what a hallucination is, and he has the same thing with The Orphanage Headmaster, and I know it takes Dazai form to guild Atsushi and that’s it’s a hallucination in his mind so that it shouldn’t mean so much. But after seeing the end of this chapter I'm wondering how this will go out.

Like all I want to see now are some answers to Atsushi “Who you really are” like my guy... what do you mean!!! Is this a hallucination or something else? Is it Atsushi’s Bookmark powers telling him what to do and stuff, is it Atsushi connecting to the Book with how much it reflects to the world of BSD!Beast or is it Atsushi’s tiger powers/Byakko talking to him.

I say this because Atsushi had referred to know what this “hallucination” really is meaning that it’s not what we originally thought it was/that’s it’s not really a hallucination of Dazai but something else entirely.

Or

Is it Atsushi finally understanding what Dazai had been teaching, what he is telling him, this whole time and discoing/realizing who he really is.

Looking into himself in the picture he made of Dazai to help him keep fight to finally understand that he has a right to live, that he doesn't need to be brave to fight-- that he always been able/has been doing this and that he should stop now because some rat drew some pictures and ripped some paper.

Having that anime protagonist moments of self-discovery and finding the will to keep fighting.

Guess we just have to wait and see. Next Chapter is coming next month, and I can't wait for what happens next!

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On another note, it's a very funny coincidence that when I went to the library the only BSD Novels there were that day were BSD! BEAST & BSD! STROMBRINGER-- both of which i took with me and am now reading! What a coincidence!!

[fortemelody]

okay so like… imma say something maybe perhaps perchance controversial and hot-takey relating to sonic. and i’ve wanted to say this for awhile but didnt wanna get canceled becus it’s something that’s sorta difficult to convey through text…

i remember seeing a year or two ago that quite a few people thought shadamy was wrong simply becus amy reminded shadow of maria in SA2. so basically implying that like if amy is reminiscent of maria, this “inherently” means that shadow thinks of her also as his sibling of sorts.

but i honestly think this way of thinking isn’t correct. if you think about this in any context rather than this fandom then my point will be simpler to understand. for example, you can think to yourself “wow my partner has similar traits to {insert person here} in my family” WITHOUT thinking of them as the same person. acknowledging a parallel in personality should not be off limits when comparing someone you share romantic love with and someone you share platonic love with in my opinion, unless you’re the one constantly choosing to say/act upon that fact in an intentionally weird way.

we also don’t really know *exactly* what shadow was thinking in this exact moment, other than the fact that amy’s kind words changed his perspective and motives, which was the main point of that cutscene overall. it could very well be possible that shadow is experiencing some form of underdeveloped love for amy in that moment, but even he doesn’t know what kinda of love that may be becus he’s spent his whole life just traumatized and not exposed to relationship and friendship status quo of the outside world.

and may i remind you that shadamy is not the only ship to do this… so that argument really doesn’t even work?!? sonadow, probably the most popular ship ever in sonic, does this too. that official japanese art/story with shadow looking at the blue shoes references the parallels between sonic and maria i believe, along with MANY fan works i see regularly.

i’m glad the shift in shadamy has become apparent after TMOSTH and the twitter takeovers. i honestly change my opinion quite frequently between seeing this ship as more platonic or more romantic, but i wanted to still defend it nonetheless becus i find it quite ridiculous how much backlash it got for the stupidest things.

and in case this wasn’t clear- I DONT SUPPORT INCEST AND THIS POST IS NOT TRYING TO EXCUSE INCEST IN ANY WAY. i really just think that characters can be more complex than some people initially interpret them and so to quickly shame others based on these conclusions feels very odd to me.

[dindjarindiaries]

Omega and Crosshair's story in The Bad Batch season 3 mirrors Hunter and Omega's story in The Bad Batch season 1, but with Omega taking on Hunter's role and Crosshair taking on Omega's.

Something the show did really well in season 3 was prove just how far Omega has come, and how she's become so much like all her brothers in different ways. Personally, I see a lot of Hunter in her, mainly for the way she's always tried to emulate him ever since season 1. That's what started to lead me on this path to discovering that, in season 3, she takes on Hunter's previous role from season 1, especially where Crosshair is concerned.

As always with any analysis, this is a disclaimer that you may view these episodes in an entirely different way due to various biases, one of the most notable being based upon your own favorite characters and your own life experience. All I ask is that you read through carefully before chiming in with any counterarguments!

The basis of this analysis, or at least what clued me in to this, are these two moments, and the similarities of the stories Hunter & Omega and Omega & Crosshair have in seasons 1 and 3, respectively.

It's important to note straightaway that these two stories do not line up exactly the same. There are, rather, thematic similarities, and enough potential parallels that bring everything together just enough to show us how everything falls into place and brings season 1 full circle in season 3.

At the beginning of season 3, Omega and Crosshair are both imprisoned in the same place. Regardless, they're both being treated very differently. Omega has more of an illusion of freedom in having time on her own while she tends to her tasks. Crosshair, on the other hand, is either held in his cell or is actively being tortured/conditioned.

Metaphorically, this was also where Hunter (and the rest of the Batch) and Omega were in season 1, too. Hunter and the boys had the illusion of freedom in getting to leave Kamino and participate in missions, but they still had a duty to serve the Republic with no real choice ever being presented. Omega, on the other hand, was confined to Kamino, even kept hidden for the most part as Nala Se's lab assistant.

The dynamic between Omega and Crosshair shifts when Omega gets older. As I pointed out in this analysis, Omega's growth, and her shift into the role of Hunter, is made evident through the use of shadows when she talks to Crosshair in his cell. When she's younger, she looks as if she has Crosshair's marksman tattoo. When she's older, the left half of her face is concealed in a shadow, like Hunter's skull tattoo.

While this is showing Omega's growth by taking her from emulating the youngest of the Batch to the oldest, it's also foreshadowing how Crosshair is going to be taking on younger Omega's role, too.

It kicks off the strongest in episode 3, when it's time to make their escape. Omega insists on freeing Crosshair and taking him with her, despite him telling her that she should've left him behind—and that he wouldn't have thought twice about leaving her behind, either. But Omega refused to leave him behind. Why?

She's one of us. We're not leaving her there.

She learned that lesson from Hunter, who brought his entire squad back to Kamino just to free her from where she was being confined. Omega, now embodying Hunter's role, does the same for Crosshair here. She takes the risk to come free him and to make their escape together.

From then on, Omega actually calls a lot of the shots, if not all of them. Like Hunter, she's the strategist, guiding Crosshair but also considering and listening to his insight. Crosshair obeys, albeit more reluctantly than Omega used to obey Hunter—although she still used to protest if Hunter was sidelining her for her protection, so there are a few little similarities there.

(I would be remiss not to note here that the only glimpses we really get of Omega being a child again rather than the leader she learned to be from Hunter is when she's actually with Hunter. The face she makes when she runs to him during their reunion, melting into his embrace, snuggling Lula on the Marauder, leaning her head on his shoulder on Pabu... he's the safe space where she can fully relax and just be a kid again, because even if she's always gonna be Hunter for others, he's the only Hunter for her.)

After the reunion, we see Crosshair struggling at first to be back with his squad as their new history stands between them, mostly due to Crosshair's own guilt and hesitance and Hunter's desire to learn more and understand what happened. Because of their issues, Hunter doesn't have the established trust he needs yet to help Crosshair the way Omega can. That's why Omega, in a way, takes on the role Hunter used to have in Crosshair's life—at least, in this season.

Omega is very protective of Crosshair during this time, in a way that's reminiscent of how fiercely protective Hunter always has been of Omega. Of course, Crosshair is also very protective of Omega, too, and we also saw this with Omega regarding Hunter (and the others) in season 1. She was constantly worried about them when they were on missions without her, and that relieved way she says Hunter's name when she realizes he's alive after his shootout with Cad Bane will always get me.

The biggest thematic similarity between season 1 Omega and season 3 Crosshair, however, is their motivation, as far as the rest of the squad is concerned. Omega tries her hardest to earn their trust and their approval by training with her bow, strategizing, following orders, and more. Crosshair wants the same thing; he wants to regain the trust and approval he had from his brothers before everything happened. He practices shooting with his rifle and is frustrated when he can't protect them the way he wants to.

Just as Omega's past haunted her in the form of bounty hunters throughout season 1, Crosshair's past haunts him in the form of his hand tremor and CX-2. Omega's worst fear became returning to Kamino, and Crosshair's is returning to Tantiss. This is what they're trying to run from the entire season, despite the fact that all paths start to lead right back to those places.

Eventually, the Empire becomes a threat again, and escape becomes impossible for season 1 Hunter and season 3 Omega, respectively. Both of them give themselves up to protect others. Hunter orders Tech to leave him on Daro, while Omega insists on turning herself in to protect Pabu and her brothers. They both do so without fear, intent on either getting themselves out of their situation or depending on their squad to help them.

(Crosshair technically substituting for Tech here, too... I'm emotional.)

This is when we get the pinnacle of season 1 Omega's and season 3 Crosshair's arcs: they go back to the place they fear the most solely for the sake of their Hunter-figure. This action alone proves the growth they've done over the course of the story, as the trust, connection, and love they truly, deeply have for that person they look up to encourages them to be brave and to face their greatest fears to save them.

Season 1 Omega returns to Kamino for Hunter, and season 3 Crosshair returns to Tantiss for Omega. We all know that Omega is exhibiting peak Hunter behavior here as she looks after the younger children imprisoned with her to help them escape, but that's beside the point currently. We fast forward to their reunions, when the immediate threat is gone and the Hunter-figures realize what their Omega-figures sacrificed to save them.

Not only that, but they're also reminded that it was because of their own initial actions that the Omega-figures found the bravery and inspiration to conquer their fear. Season 1 Omega reminds Hunter that he had gone back to Kamino for her first, and season 3 Crosshair doesn't have to say anything for Omega to remember the way she risked her own escape attempt to free him from his cell first. They never gave up on each other.

I, of course, don't miss the significance of Hunter being in the latter scene when this all happens. Again, while Omega may act like Hunter to many others, only Hunter himself can take on that role in her own life. Here, Hunter gets to see how his actions when they first took in Omega have influenced her and, now, his youngest brother. It's such a heartfelt and rewarding full-circle moment, with Omega being the mend between these two formerly torn-apart brothers. It's such a large step ahead from where they were before.

The epilogue essentially becomes a lighthearted display of the similarities between Hunter and Omega. He stresses that he and his brothers want to keep her safe, and after reassuring him that she will be, she asks him to look over their other two brothers—proving that both of them are still protective as Hunter-figures over those they see as their Omega-figures. All the while, of course, they're protective over one another, too, even if it goes without saying.

Essentially, Hunter became who he had to be to take care of Omega, and Omega followed that example to take care of Crosshair. This is, in my opinion, probably why we didn't get as much Hunter and Omega in season 3 as we did Crosshair and Omega, but not for the reason many may think. It was because Omega was already in Hunter's role, and Crosshair was in Omega's role.

It's really sweet to see how full circle the story has come from season 1. Crosshair is getting the treatment and attention Omega got in season 1, but he's getting it from Omega herself, because that's what Crosshair really needed. Hunter couldn't be in that role anymore because of their own hurt—plus, their relationship is just different. Instead, we get to see what Omega learned being passed on as she grew, and how it ultimately helped to heal Crosshair and the rest of them.

If you enjoyed this analysis, here are some other ones I've done:

Hunter and Crosshair in "The Return"

Crosshair taking the shot in "The Calvary Has Arrived"

[sepublic]

            I wonder how RED managed the spell to enter Belos’ mind; For balancing and logistical reasons, I don’t think it’s something you can just so easily do. They had to use a potion and some other stuff, compared to Eda, who did it on the fly because she’s studied all of the magic, mixes it, and isn’t covenbound in any capacity.

            Personally my working headcanon is they must’ve gotten like, I dunno a lock of hair from Belos and that’s how they could do it, because otherwise it’s a whole can of worms if you can just enter people’s mindscapes without some prerequisite like them being incapacitated, or something else. But how did they get close enough, you ask?

            Recall this shot; Belos flanked by two Abomatons in his throne room. He sure is letting them close, huh…?

            My HC is that Darius turned into Abomination form and hijacked one of the Abomatons; He removed all of its goop to leave behind just the mechanical endoskeleton, before filling in the Abomination gaps with his own fluid form. By impersonating this Abomaton, Darius was able to get close enough to Belos to get what he needed for the spell to enter his mind.

            In essence, Darius used his goopy form to possess an Abomaton, all for some plan to enter a hard-to-access place that involved breaking a magical vial. It just furthers the parallels between Darius and Belos, and how they have similar transformations and a fatherly dynamic with Hunter, but ultimately Darius is just so clearly, blatantly an opposite as well.

            Hmm. Out of Team RED, we have Raine as a parallel/foil to Belos, but Darius as well. I’ve always wondered about Eberwolf’s backstory and motives, so maybe I should keep this in mind if I try fleshing them out more in my own HCs.

[lordofmelancholy]

Arcane Silent Frontiers: Isha and Jinx's Relationship

Alright! Time for something new! The (tragic) Relationship between Isha and Jinx in Silent Frontiers

Now for those who read This (if you haven't go read it), you might have notice that I put down one of the inspirations for Isha's character in SF as not only just Ellie from The Last of Us but also Joel as well.

This is because, both Isha and Jinx take the "Joel" role in this AU; which is basically a fancy way of stating that both of them have major attachment issues stemming from trauma and apparent abandonment. Because of this, both Isha and Jinx actually don't get along to each other as quickly as they do in the show. The need to Bond is there, but Isha often finds it hard to gain attachments towards people following immense heartbreak in her life, and is in many ways similar to Jinx in this notion. However what should bring them together, instead makes it hard for them to do so. There's a pull of course that neither can understand, but it's a pull that tends to lead them both at the current time to face first into a wall. They have to break that wall and it's a process. Its literally has to build up. But with every build up, there can be an explosion which with Isha and Jinx happens.

Thus then comes the Isha (ellie) and Jinx (Joel) parallel Remember This Scene, in the first TLOU

Well. . .Jinx and Isha basically go through the same thing Despite the attachment issues, throughout the story of SF, Isha does end up getting close to Jinx much like she does in the show. This however is where it gets complicated for JINX because Jinx's whole thing IS the fear of getting close to someone in a world that tends to take them away too easy.

The only one she's EVER close to is Ekko. He's been her rock since they were kids. But anyone else doesn't get as close easily and it's just how she's been for years.

She's been so stuck in her ways that It honestly scared her how quickly she got attached to Isha she got and as a result her first instinct is to push away.

To not only protect others, but herself.

Jinx's biggest breaker in this whole thing was the fact that Isha once accidentally called her mama by mistake and Jinx's first instinct was to fear the word because she never expected it to make her feel good. It was what started the OG argument (similar to the one Joel and Ellie got into in the first game) and what had caused a small rift to form between the two of them, because Isha tried to get close but Jinx pushed back and thus Isha basically "gave up"

which she was actually starting to NOT DO because of Jinx.

Jinx ends up of course beating herself up over it later on down the line because she realizes how stupid she's actually been about all this. Realizing that Ekko was right, that everyone was right and even Isha was right about a lot of stuff. But her stupidity this time caused her to go and "Jinx" it cause it's obvious that Isha is distancing herself from JINX now and it's not the other way around

When what happens with Isha happens (basically what caused the events of the fic: Alone in this Platinum Field which can be found there in the link), Jinx is distraught over it because not only could she possibly loose Isha, but she'll also loose Isha at a point in time where there's a big chance that Isha hates her.

But the issue is, is even now Isha doesn't hate Jinx. And that's the sad part. Made even more sad with the fact that She never did, nor does she think she ever could

It's just that Isha's hurt

She's hurt because in the process of pushing her away, Jinx had also said things that just got Isha the wrong way

Because as we all know when Jinx is scared, Jinx can't shut up for shit and has to put her foot in her mouth.

Jinx never really leaves her side shortly after what happened. The issue with the field was something she couldn't avoid, it sucked but she couldn't. But after that she never strays too far. She's always close by. Always within reach. But while part of it is her just being observant, there's also another reason as to why.

She keeps trying to apologize

Every once in a while, sometimes in the dead of night, while everyone is asleep or at least trying to sleep. You could often hear whispers. Hushed sounds. And it's Jinx trying to talk to her. Trying to apologize. Shes trying to apologize because the thought that Isha is going to die with the thought of Jinx not caring in her head absolutely terrifies Jinx to no end now.

So every once in a while you'd hear a hushed apology. "'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it".

And sometimes when Isha's awake, at least long enough to actually hear those words somewhat, it would often seem like she would jump at the opportunity to accept it. To put it all behind them and forget about it all. But then she would get a look in her eye, as if she was remembering what exactly got said to her.

Playing it all back in her head.

and then Jinx would notice the sullen look. As if even now Isha couldn't bring herself even to forget. Or to forgive

But Jinx keeps trying to apologize.

And that's the sad part really in all this.

But what somehow makes it even worse. If that was even possible to begin with. Is the fact, that that's not the only thing Jinx tries to do. What she always seems to try despite it never working in the end.

She thinks the others don't hear her when she say's it. But they do. They always do. And it breaks their hearts to hear how desperate she sounds when she asks Isha to call her Mama once more.

Because they know the odds are slim now that she ever will. Not after everything.

But Jinx need's to hear her say it. She wants Isha to say it. Mouth it. Sign it. Garble Anything. Now more then anything

She doesn't care how Isha says it because at least if she does. At least if this is does turn out to be the end, Jinx can at least know and hold on to the warm feeling that Isha calling her Mama made her. Can hold on to that warmth at least for a while, just a little. Just long enough to help her cope with the fact that she may never get to hear it again if this truly is the end.

She hopes its not.

God she hopes its not

Because she still needs to make up for what she did.

So she's keep trying. As long as it takes. However long both her and Isha have left.

She knows she sounds selfish. Wanting Isha to say it now when there's a chance this might all be it. To say it now after pushing her away the way that she did. She knows it sounds selfish. Sounds cruel

She knows it probably is in some way. But its not. Really its not She's not being selfish nor is she trying to be cruel. Not really anyways. She just finally has come to accept something. Just a little too late. Just a little too much at the wrong time

But

"Just once. That's all. Call me mama again. Please just say it. Just once, that's all. You can say it. I wont be mad I promise…I won't just…-"

"Please?"

____

(Also as a added bonus in pain. Imagine Isha referring to Ekko as Papa by mistake when they make it back to the compound. They get her all fixed up for the time being and her being slightly drugged up for the pain, accidentally refers to Ekko as papa when he shows up to see them. Imagine being worried that she "did it again" and that she's going to be rejected by Ekko just like she was by Jinx. Imagine her being terrified of the potential rejection. Jinx did it, what's really stopping Ekko from doing it as well)

[ematini]

Since people are comparing the scenes of Cailtyn hitting Vi, with Vi hitting Powder, because parallels...apparently.

So let's compare. (I'm thinking about one post specifically, but i won't engage since the person has me blocked.)

Yes, on the surface level, the premise of those scenes is similar. "A person hits a loved one because they're overwhelmed by emotions in a very difficult situation." That's the part we all see. That's not what people are complaining about. That reasoning makes sense. Caitlyn's REASONING, or lack thereof, because she's having an emotional moment makes sense. It's not excusable. Emotions are valid. Hitting someone because of them isn't. That's called abuse. Just because it's not a repeating pattern doesn't mean it's not. Caitlyn could've done many other things, yell, push Vi away, etc, but as the crowd likes to scream, no character in Arcane is perfect, so we have to take it as it is.

The main difference lies in how the situations are handled in Vi's context vs. Caitlyn's. Vi walks away, but the moment she realizes Powder is in danger, she immediately tries to come back. Anger and grief aside. The only reason she doesn't is because Marcus comes in and snaches her. And what does she do the moment she sees Powder/Jinx, even after 7 years in prison? She immediately apologizes. We can see it in her actions, in her face, in her words that she feels terrible.

Caitlyn leaves Vi in underground tunnels, and what? Nothing. She chooses to continue her quest for revenge for 3-6 months, however long the timeskip lasts. She has practically endless resources, Enforcers all over Zaun and doesn't even look for Vi. Gives no sign of even thinking about her. And when she sees her again for the first time, her first words are "you can't be here" and "you look like an angry oil slick." That's not even mentioning her "while you were gone" line during the prison cell scene. Gone? Where was she gone, Caitlyn? That makes it sound like Vi just left by herself and was out on vacation, not actively spiraling.

"Oh, but that's not the kind of person Caitlyn is. She apologizes with her actions, not her words."

And what exactly are those actions? She doesn't let her die after she gets hurt in Viktor's village? Decides to leave Ambessa's side? Well, at least she's not vindictive enough to let Vi die on the ground. Good for her, i guess. Or are we talking about her vague one-liners, the likes of "I know!" Preceeds to throw something, and "we can't undo our crimes"? I'd call that the bare minimum.

With that argument, you're essentially claiming that Cailtyn can't/won't/doesn't want to apologize for her actions after hitting her partner and abandoning them for months, like she promised she won't. What does that really say about Caitlyn? People talk about reading between the lines and then get upset at others for calling caitvi toxic when their on-screen relationship looks like that. Which one is it then? Why is that only an argument when it's comfortable for you?

[welcometoteyvat]

finally typing up my late lantern rite thoughts (very long). overall 100/10 quest I love hu tao

The amount of Xingqiu's brother mentions were insane. Surely we'll see him either as an NPC soon, right? Right? /j Honestly here he sounded pretty competent, nothing like "a simpleton" like Xingqiu's troubles voiceline suggests hmm...

The little model animations were SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD. contributed a lot to the experience and made it feel so much more alive. hu tao's expressions especially, but also yun jin's expressions, and Xiangling's "come back, get over here and eat!!!!!1!1!!!" was also really fucking funny. they've been adding these small animations for a while but this event specifically had so many of them and the effort paid off <3

in a similar vein I'm impressed how smooth the animation/model actions were when Xiao put the sigil on us

hu tao lan yan and qiqi fill in the gap fic please

timaeus is kind of silly, also very funny he and ying'er still going strong 2 years later. he's literally learning liyue language for ying'er? genuinely his dedication is impressive. they should make events replayable because how will everyone who missed 3.5 windblume know why timaeus simps for someone a whole country over

we finally know what the fake chinese characters in all those liyue signs represent (kinda ig). I need to look over this part again

if hu tao&/xiangling or hu tao &/yun jin stocks on ao3 don't increase after this I will start biting. MY GIRLS T_T T_TT_T_T_T_T_T_T. bro the farewell section was so tender I enjoyed it greatly. Their relationships with each other got developed on screen.. yun jin and hu tao's banter especially was really cute and really shows us their relationship aside from the hints in their VOs

YUN JIN OPERATIC HILITUNE ON SCREEN. the fanvid of it from bilibili can finally rest, thanks for your service, canon got here 4 years later.

Yun Jin, having practiced the tao dou opera, MUST have known something correct?? or else she wouldn't have asked hu tao so many times to promise to come back, right? She trusts Hu Tao so much :'''' . if Hu Tao says she can handle it, Yun Jin knows there's no stopping her, and she will find a way, but it doesn't stop her from worrying nonetheless :''').

hu tao's death flags during part 2......

my agenda is speaking, but I wish Xingqiu and Hu Tao directly talked during the farewells section. something something chivalry and sacrifice. Hu Tao makes her peace with giving up everything to resolve the Tao Dou issue, but is Xingqiu at peace with losing a friend even tho its selfish of him to want her to stay? he has personal stakes in this please just let them talk a little

I'm really really glad they went through with the death, they showed Hu Tao's emotions, they showed her father and grandfather waving her off. I broke, she looked so tired but satisfied (thinking about her vision story, where she waited so long for her grandfather to never appear vs him visiting her for just a brief moment here)

my other favorite shot is when traveler pulls her out and she looks at them in muted surprise. she just looked so sad and fragile and in need of a hug :(((

the Themes (waves hands wildly). hu tao's father's lingering regrets were his fatal flaw, and so Hu Tao settles her affairs properly and steels herself before going to die. she leaves behind the plum blossom branch just like her grandfather left his hat.. genuinely what the hell. the parallels between her cutscene goodbye and her saying "happy lantern rite" kills me

the epilogue last year with the fontaine tourists was pretty fanservicey, and tbh the epilogue the year before was also somewhat fanservice to me, (liyue gang dinner and zhongli venti teasing) though I liked it better. However I think this epilogue was actually really good— the hanging out and the fluff felt natural, it fit with everything else and wasn't super sudden. Maybe this was because of all the setup that happened (Yun Jin and Xiangling's promises to Hu Tao, Xiao and Yelan's dynamic built up in Perilous Trails and their earlier exchange), so the payoff is good instead of forced. After the trials and danger they got put through, everyone gets a chance to relax, and I appreciate the slice of life after the main plot. also Yun Jin's opera was crazy good considering it was not a cutscene, the animation and camera angles really sold it

I thought the special guest was xiao again, like how LR 3.4 had him dragged to the harbor by Hu Tao.... xiaolan banter was also v good though.

THE ADEPTI. they're still watching over Liyue in their own way :') the affectionate bickering about hu tao's name :''''''''

I barely mentioned lan yan in this... her part was pretty minor ngl, her habit of learning everything about a person to the point of sounding a bit creepy is kind of fun though.

alright. fantastic quest absolutely no notes I got almost everything I ever wanted and I am so glad Hu Tao had such an incredible 2nd story quest. chongyun and shenhe exorcist lantern rite next year?

[incesthemes]

like ok you ever notice how all of these monsters who try to lure sam down the path of his own monstrosity seem to either embody or parallel dean? isn't that crazy? great. now consider ruby and lucifer specifically ok. ruby acts like dean and models behaviors for him so that sam can learn how to be "like dean" from her. dean is dying, sam thinks he needs to be more like his brother to survive, and so ruby uses this anxiety to get sam under her thumb by exemplifying Dean-Like Behavior (specifically the dean-like behavior sam notices and admires). in doing so she leads him further away from dean and closer to lucifer instead.

in the end, ruby is an allegory of sam, though. but she's an allegory of a sam who wants to be like his brother. it's a specific mindset, similar to the way bela is a season 3-specific allegory of a dean who can't outrun fate. sam's interactions with ruby are therefore masturbatory in nature, but of course filled with desire for his brother. he's fantasizing about dean while fucking himself.

at the same time, though, this reveals something about dean. because ruby is a manifestation of what sam sees in dean. and therefore it reveals an inherent monstrosity to him. ruby is a demon, innately bad, and so dean, whether sam is conscious of it or not, harbors that same innate evil. this relates back to the ongoing dichotomy between sam and dean where sam has something bad inside of him, but dean is something bad. born to hunt, uniquely and intuitively good at killing, all instinct, capable of violent cruelties sam can't fathom and which scare even dean himself. hunting makes a monster (a theme which is proposed in wendigo, dean's introduction episode), and dean is the best hunter of them. ruby manifests dean in all the ways that matter, even down to the fact that she is a monster.

this also extends to lucifer too; there are plenty of parallels in the narrative that connect them—they occupy similar roles for sam and represent physically the paths he can follow, and so naturally they will share narrative characteristics. they hold a similar level of influence over sam because they are one of two end goals in his life. but in the end, lucifer is an allegory for sam the same way michael is an allegory for dean. nevertheless, the fact that ruby in particular uses dean's likeness to draw sam toward lucifer inheres that lucifer and dean are not so dissimilar: the best lies are based on truth. and through these parallels dean's innate monstrosity is once again highlighted in its ongoing theming of the show. that monstrosity can be a lot of things, especially since all of this is filtered through sam's perspective: the rot of family, codependency, violence, trauma, incest, desire. sam has all of these inside of him too; the difference between them is so, so slight. and especially if you go the incest angle, because incest is depicted as synonymous with physical monstrosity so often in this damn show, idk it all comes together For Me. their sin is not their violence but their desire (yet they are the same). sam's desire goes one of two ways (independence or codependence), but it always leads back to dean.

[dingodad]

lol, Kankri doesn't understand how gendered oppression can exist because he's an essentialist

...6y n9 means d9es this imply that the 6ef9ran way 9f life was entirely with9ut pr96lematic elements [...] particularly as a c9nsequence 9f what in my view were widely and dismayingly unexamined systemic s9cial injustices resulting fr9m the entrenched p9wer dynamics in play, dynamics strikingly similar t9 th9se 9f y9ur planet's markedly m9re 6ellic9se iterati9n, which has 9nly served t9 fully vindicate my hyp9thesis that such a hierarchy is really predicated 9n intrinsic dysfuncti9n...

in his eyes, the reason behind Alternia and Beforus' parallel problems is "intrinsic dysfunction" - in other words the drivers of social inequality are not in fact social but biological. something about the castes makes them 'intrinsically' incapable of getting along. so when the concept of patriarchy is broached, he responds in the only way that makes rational sense to him:

KANKRI: I'm s9rry, I just d9n't think there's much there. We aren't like humans, wh9se species 6izarrely en9ugh includes highly specialized r9les f9r 69th sexes in the pr9cess 9f repr9ducti9n, and s9 this naturally had s9cial ramificati9ns f9r the way their civilizati9n ev9lved. 6ut that's n9t h9w it w9rks f9r us, s9 I fail t9 see h9w gender fact9rs int9 the discussi9n in a way that can 6e effectively and rati9nally pr96lematized. Where is the r99m f9r unexamined privilege in the dich9t9my? I d9n't see it.

the way Kankri sees it, human males and human females are 'essentially' different; there is something innately within a human male that gives him "privilege" over the female, and it is the superpower of the social justice warrior to "examine" and thus "problematize" that intrinsic privilege. but unlike blood castes, the difference between troll males and troll females is basically social and not biological, so there is no innate truth for the Problematist to extract.

[calilk]

on: why bloodhound!tilly? please be prepared for my very half baked but enthusiastic rambling. this is very opinion based because i cater to MYSELF mwhahahhahahhaah

for me, a lot of the appeal of pearl and tilly’s dynamic is the idea of ‘them against the world’, and to heighten this, i love drawing parallels between the two, and what might’ve drawn them together in the first place (see pearl being a metaphorical lone wolf (as in abandoned and vunerable not alpha male ahhahaha) and tilly being a literal lone wolf, found trapped on the side of a mountain, pearl her only way out).

in particular, i love the fact they are together because they have no one else to turn to, because they are shunned and feared by others: hence, bloodhound tilly.

bloodhounds have many misconceptions around them, most relevant to this situation being aggressiveness. i know i certainly thought of bloodhounds as more aggressive for some time (i mean their name is literally bloodhound. the cover sounds very judgeable) when in reality they are more trackers, which could equally be misconstrued as them being something terrifying and dangerous, stalking you through the night, when in reality they are docile and affectionate, and while being good and scenting and driven, they are often gentle and slow to anger.

many people also do not consider them attractive dogs, their droopy skin being a deterrent to many, further contributing to this idea of something undesirable and to be shunned. their large size may also contribute to this dangerous, unmanageable and undesirable image

also, bloodhounds are quite susceptible to having red bloodshot eyes due to their drooping skin, further adding to this misconception of ‘dangerous’, and their similarities with pearl.

bloodhounds are also very much pack dogs, and due to tilly’s forced isolation with pearl, both due to the circumstances and her breeds, their codependency will only be heightened, both desperate for the connection that only many can provide, meaning they are overly dependent on each other

i also just LOVE the image of pearl snuggling up with a big overly protective dopey dog. i think she deserves a big dog she can hug for hours and can lick her until she feels better big slobbery style. lost my dog recently and am Missing Him™ so PROJECTING MY WISHES ONTO THE CUBITO MWHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!! also i just think bloodhounds and really cute so :3

plus, i know i just talked about misconceptions about the aggressiveness of bloodhounds, but i feel like they would look really cool running into battle/covered in blood/stalking the enemy. while pearl is more of a supernova burst of energy, tilly can compliment her, the slow, poldding, unstoppable force. i am no better than those i despise. or something.

i am aware that MANY of these traits are applicable to other breeds, others which would arguably be a better fit (see: xl bullies) and bloodhounds are dEFINAtely not white hahahhahaha but i just think it’s neat :3

also this sudden pivot away from how i’ve drawn tilly before was just the realisation that i wasn’t putting much thought into my tilly design, (spurred by smileymoth’s bull terrier design that i am ENAMOURED with) so this may be a bit of an over correction on my part, and may likely change in the future but !!!!! ye.

pearl n tilly fluff for the soul. featuring my EVIL and TWISTED bloodhound!tilly propaganda

[struggling-jpg]

Aventurine and Boothill as a duo is just so funny to me. Boothill and Dan Heng already gave us the impulsive shooter-stressed guy energy so I imagine that Boothill and Aventurine are the impulsive shooter-amused enabler dynamic.

They both have concerning "good" luck and a willingness to risk everything for their plans/goals so just imagine that Boothill would have this wild plan that involves a staged hostage situation with only vague details and an even more vague backup plan, and out of curiosity, amusement, and the means to get themselves out of there if need be, Aventurine would be like "Yeah, sure, all or nothing, friend!"

Just imagine all the shenanigans these two would start on their mission to get revenge on Oswaldo. I hope Star Rail makes it fun and has all the emotional payoff v-v

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

ISAT & Dungeon Meshi swap!

[addamvelaryon]

When you stand in front of me and look at me, what do you know of the griefs that are in me and what do I know of yours?

— Franz Kafka

Corlys, Addam & Laenor by Imperiat

[mochiotomedumplings]

can’t believe i forgot about the eyes thing 😔 added that as well as the hand behind back pose.

saw a reddit comment highlighting the narrative parallels between sunday & aven and it was :chef-kiss: the two of them have quite the common ground but use such different methods that it will probs come as an eye-twitching surprise when they realize how similar they are, how easy it is to understand the other because of that.

noticed some extra similarities about their appearances as well, with how strong the bird motif is with both of them. sunday’s self-explanatory, but aven also has coat tails like peacock feathers and his earring ! and this is just delulu but thinking about how aven calls sunday “wingheaded” then “featherhead”, i wonder if he’s curious or finds those ear wings particularly memorable, like he wants a closer look because they look so soft to touch… hehe.

the family parallel between them continues ! like how aven keeps his father’s shirt - the last remnant of his family, sunday’s memories with his family (if we squint, before the disaster) continue to accompany him - echoes of faded dreams. they both love their family so much…

huh i guess aven already knew exactly what he was doing using robin’s death in that meeting with sunday. heavy-handed move from sunday for sure, which doesn’t deviate that much from his usual m.o. of eliminating risks and maintaining order, but getting sunday even a little bit affected could have increased the chance of him jumping on the bait that aven laid out for him. getting harmony’d by sunday would have been part of the plan to give him just the right amount of control & details so he wouldn’t suss it out right away.

some parallels & contrasts & links between sunday and aventurine:

- overcautious, uptight, likely trust issues & low self-opinion & insecure & self-destructive (derived or pointed out in quest)

- put on a facade while dealing with others, heavily performance-themed (sunday with his 3 act play and literally fighting on a stage, aven also boss fight on stage and quest had him reminiscing while running around a stage)

- more performance related (sunday’s choir theme, his trailer & liking for fine music, aven’s pov quest ending with him “going on stage” and putting on a show for his gamble)

- past, present and future (sunday’s history lesson, aven’s “other selves” after being harmony’d, penacony both being a turning point for them to sorta move on from the past)

- sister and family (both love their family more than themselves, both have lost part or all of it and had to cope without actual parental figures in unfriendly environment)

- more on family (both still keep memories/ traces of their lost family even now, aven with his father’s shirt and sunday’s still accompanied by the echoes of faded dreams - “echoes of the memories someone once held of their beloved family”)

- “blessed” in their own path (sunday being powerful enough in harmony to usurp dominicus and touch ena, aven “never loses”)

- religious theme (aven still practicing gaiathra’s rituals, sunday almost-god and biblical reference)

- tangent paths (sunday with his order and divine laws i.e. things must happen this way, aven with his luck and destiny i.e. this will happen)

- caged bird/ captive theme (sunday and his dove, aven and slave + prison theme, both seem as though they control their own fate but not really)

- 2 sides of the same coin (not risking anything and risking everything, control everything vs leaving the final hand in luck, knowing everything vs hiding everything, save everyone vs destroy the world)

- both yapper in a way (charmony dove sunday would probs talk at length about things he knows/ has mulled over, see how aven has much to share about things he knows in his voicelines)

- colors (playable: dark vs bright pants, blue+white coat vs green+black coats, gold theme everywhere; family head vs stoneheart: white suit dark inner shirt vs black suit white inner shirt; sunday’s gold eyes and aven’s blond, aven’s eyes kinda similar to ena’s eye with vibrant shades like sunday’s harmony thingy)

- more on appearance (hand behind back thing, left vs right; aven’s eyes of avgin & gaiathra vs eyes everywhere on sunday & ena; bird reference, peacock man vs chicken wing boy; both have a gold scarf and flowy coat tails)

- crazy (one’s a crazed gambler and the other’s been called a lunatic)

- lost (aven seemed lost on what to do before penacony, plus self-destructive methods, then he found resolution after the slash to live on; sunday had it all planned out before penacony, plus self-destructive methods, then he lost it all and now finding new ways to the future)

- their voiceline about the other is slightly off (sunday described aven’s plan as a grand performance - which he is known to like - then giggled before saying he wants to “clash on stage” again; aven is mostly confident/ chill talking about others & their affiliation but complains about sunday’s method - did not mention halovian or The Family - and then wants to observe sunday’s new plan/ game)

- unjust destiny (their past of suffering, but also their shared outlook on life being inherently unfair and assigning “value” to people)

- referencing the other (wonweek mentioned aven as an influence, aven’s past got explored as he got harmony’d by sunday, “inherently unjust destiny” featuring him being questioned by sunday into revealing his past and feelings, sunday’s voiceline to aven about keeping principles when “golden touch” started with “winning 200% but losing all principles”)

they have so much in common 💕

[corporalicent]

FRANCESCA & VIOLET BRIDGERTON

“I couldn’t imagine it, either,” Violet cut in. “Yet it happened. I thought I should die of the pain.” Daphne swallowed. “But I didn’t. And you wouldn’t. And the truth is, eventually it does become easier. And you think that perhaps you could find happiness with someone else.” “Francesca did,” Daphne murmured. “Yes, she did.” Violet closed her eyes for a moment, recalling how terribly worried she’d been for her third daughter during those years of her widowhood. She’d been so terribly alone, not shunning her family precisely, but not truly reaching out to them, either. And unlike Violet, she’d had no children to help her find her strength again. “She is proof that one can be happy twice,” Violet said, “with two different loves. But, you know, she’s not the same kind of happy with Michael as she was with John. I would not value one higher than the other; it’s not the sort of thing one can measure. But it’s different.” —Violet in Bloom: Novella

[croudjay]

POV: You accidentally stumbled across two immortal warmongers who crave for blood

I know "drawing your two comfort characters in that steven universe meme" trend is old now but I wanted an excuse to draw them together. Like if they were in the same universe, they would've been besties.

Anyway here's a diff version // The original trend // The original picture for those who don't know

Trend by EGGNETS, Steven Meme by hausofdecline