#this was just my perspective giving an analysis to both the train scene and the lion cub scene

[sukibenders]

Glinda mentions to Elphaba how Fiyero can't stop thinking about that moment in Dillamond's class, or that he's having thoughts in general and how it worries her because it's not something she's used to from him (which is him thinking about actual things), in contrast to Elphaba, who doesn't seem all that bothered and, even more so interested in the manner when Fiyero brings up how he can't stop thinking about when they rescued the lion cub. I don't know about everyone else but for me, even with this scene probably being added for lighthearted value, I also see it as another piece in the puzzle cementing how Fiyero's and Glinda's actions will, eventually, either pull them closer or further away from Elphaba. I lowkey don't like it when people act surprised or confused as to why Glinda was spelled or get annoyed that Fiyero is in her place but I, personally, don't think she would have helped in that moment, specifically in the movie.

Prior to the train scene, Glinda is shown to, not only, be completely rude and spoiled (as shown with her literally fainting over not getting her way), when in class, she publicly points out Dillamond's inability to pronounce her name correctly even though it's an obvious struggle, parading in front of the class how easier it was for her other teachers to do it, then being dismissive during the rest of the lesson when learning the importance of history and why to learn from it (correct me if I'm wrong, as it has been a minute since I've seen the movie). All that already tells me that she doesn't really care for the animals' cause, let alone enough to follow Elphaba and Fiyero into the woods after stealing the lion cub and I think, subconsciously, Elphaba knew that. In fact, I can only see Glinda trying to sway them to leave the cub and how what their new professor wanted to teach probably wasn't all that bad (not saying that she would want the cub to be harmed, just that she would try to rationalize what's going as we've seen her do before). This is the same woman who, after learning that the Wizard was a fraud and responsible for the missing and harmed animals, still tried to justify his actions and berated Elphaba for not "acting accordingly" to the news, but yet we still think she should have been there to save the lion cub? That she would have helped those animals alongside Fiyero and Elphaba? I think it could allude to how Glinda could/will be used to help further push propaganda for the Wizard, especially given how it benefits her socially, as figures of propaganda often don't think too hard, or enough to critique the system around them not because they aren't smart enough too (for the most part), but more so because they understand how their world works and understand the consequences that follow when stepping out of line.

You don't have to like Fiyeraba or even find Fiyero interesting, but to purposely ignore what the movie is presenting you is such a cop-out. Fiyero enters the film being a sort of anti-establishment-like character, caring little if he gets kicked out of Shiz for breaking the rules, or just hardly caring in general (something Elphaba calls him out for), and so on. Why wouldn't he be down to rescue the lion? Even if it was to just feed his rebellious streak, he still would have gone, but when he and Elphaba meet, he's on a talking horse and they are conversing like lifelong friends. That might add another layer to the pair saving the lion. Even if he wasn't on the same level as Elphaba at that moment, the train scene shows that it had a profound impact on him that he couldn't shake. I think, had he been presented with the choice of joining Elphaba or staying, he would have gone, not only for her but also because he now knows that the Wizard is a fraud and most definitely wouldn't stand for what he [Oz] is doing. This is what sets him apart from Glinda which, isn't necessarily me hating on her but just stating facts. Glinda isn't/won't be willing to sacrifice her position and what it brings her, until it's too late (which is the tragedy of her character and her relationship with Elphaba), while Fiyero risks everything, even to some extent his own body (Scarecrow) and, in the end, gets to stand with Elphaba.

[theladyofshalott1989]

On Representation (in Fandom Spaces)

I finished reading an incredible novel last week (Wellness by Nathan Hill) and there's a passage fairly early on that hit me hard. So much so that it made me cry. At the time, I didn't quite understand why it affected me so much, but it finally dawned on me this morning. My analysis will be after the cut. Here's the passage (from pages 208-209): "It's a lecture Jack gives to his Intro to Art class, during the chapter on American landscapes, how painters educated in the European tradition saw the endless tallgrass prairie of the Midwest and literally did not know what to do with it. They had no training that might have prepared them to depict something so monolithic. They were accustomed to scenes with easy scope and dimension: trees in the middle distance for perspective, rivers and valleys that made for convenient vanishing points, mountains on the horizon as an anchoring weight, all of it evocatively defined in light and shadow. But what do you do with a tallgrass prairie, where the middle distance and the far distance and the near distance are all flat and featureless and identical? What these artists did, mostly, was ignore it. They kept traveling west until they reached the Rockies and were rewarded with landscapes that matched their schooling, which is why, in the canon of American landscape art, the prairie is so underrepresented. It's not because the prairie wasn't beautiful—most of the painters acknowledged, in letters and diaries, that it was very pretty indeed—but rather that the prairie did not accord with the traditional standards of what was specifically beautiful in landscape art. These painters came looking for the things they knew how to depict—forests and mountains and beaches—and when they found none of these, they declared the landscape 'empty.' They did not see what was there. Instead, they saw what wasn't.

Jack means it to be a lesson on the difference between reality and the representation of reality. Beauty, he tells his students, is a constructed, not intrinsic, condition. The things we think are beautiful are only the things that have been depicted beautifully. And if it's not depicted, it's not seen. It never enters the imagination. It becomes a nothing.

Which is why the west got Yellowstone, and the prairie got destroyed."

I like to remain a positive space in this fandom for everyone, but I am human and I have my down days. Today is one of those days, so I thought I would (respectfully) wax on about this passage in the context of LGBTQIA+ representation in fandom spaces like Hogwarts: Legacy.

Despite a growing number of creators depicting diverse, queer narratives, there is often a noticeable lack of engagement with these works on platforms like AO3. I sometimes come across comments from users—which I don't think are made with ill intent—about only reading works by popular creators. While I understand this to some extent, as both a writer and a dedicated reader in this fandom, when I come across this sentiment in the wild, it's like a punch to the gut. I know and support many beautiful works that, if you were to sort by hits, kudos, or bookmarks, wouldn’t be considered “popular,” but are spectacularly written with wonderfully fleshed-out characters, and these stories deserve just as much recognition.

Suffice it to say, these stories—more often than not—do not center on heterosexual relationships or cisgender perspectives.

When queer stories are not engaged with, they risk being rendered "invisible" in fandom culture. This doesn’t mean they lack value or beauty, but simply that they fall outside the established norms, just as the prairie did in the eyes of the artists in the shared passage. This lack of visibility isn’t due to an absence of effort or talent but reflects a broader issue where what is unfamiliar or different struggles to be recognized and celebrated.

In this context, it's disheartening to see the potential for LGBTQIA+ stories to expand the landscape of fandom, only for them to often be overlooked. We deserve to see a fandom where all perspectives—like all landscapes—are equally appreciated and supported.

To those of you who do write LGBTQIA+ stories, you are seen and appreciated. Please do not stop writing. I know it can be very difficult to seemingly write into the void. Don't give up. You are doing the world a service. To those of you who are willing to expand your worldview, go out there and read outside of your comfort zone. You may find a new appreciation for an underrated pairing or genre.

Ultimately, I know this uncomfy feeling of mine will pass. It always does. But if you made it all the way to the end of this, thank you, and perhaps do me a favor. Think of a pairing (or even a story that doesn't have a pairing!) that you haven't explored yet in this fandom. Don't sort by hits, kudos, or bookmarks, as it's likely there aren't many stories yet to shuffle through. Browse the summaries. Does one stand out to you? Give it a try! If you enjoy it, give that author a kudo, maybe even a comment. You'll make their month, I guarantee it.

I suppose that's all besides I love y'all. Yes, all of y'all. <3

[capyvan]

A very unnecessary and long post on why "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" has my favorite version of Sub-Zero Bi-Han.

(English isn't my first language so I'm sorry if i repeat myself a lot)

I've been planning on starting to make posts about this show since there is SO much to say, and I feel like it's not appreciated enough.

No. It is not perfect MK media, but it does embark on some very awesome concepts and ideas I've taken myself for AUs so I feel the need to spread the word.

That's why before you read this I recommend you check out the show itself! Is free on YouTube to watch, though I should warn y'all it ends on a cliffhanger that makes me wanna cry knowing it was canceled but i say it's still worth the watch.

For today’s post, i wanna talk about a character that while isn't one of my personal favorites, it surely has become one in this show.

Also i wouldn't call this a serious character analysis this is just me rambling about a dead man 😭.

. . .

For starters, Sub-Zero Bi-Han was never a character that caught my attention. My first introduction to him was MK1 and I'll be honest. 

It is my least favorite version of him atm, so I was relieved to see that he had been done better justice in the older sagas of the franchise… sort of.

I thought "MK: Mythologies Sub-Zero" was gonna be the only version of him I would be invested in, but then I decided to start watching "MK Legacy" and my perspective changed completely. 

I will be more so specifically talking about episodes 7-8 of season 2 since that's where we look at his lore more in depth, but season 1 is absolutely worth mentioning. 

Then after summarizing those, I'll give some closing thoughts.

. . .

In episodes 7-8 of season 1, we get introduced to Hanzo’s backstory and how he became Scorpion (my favorite version of it as a HUGE Hanzo fan.) 

I adored watching this interpretation of Harumi and Satoshi (called Jubei here) and how they interacted with Hanzo, and as always, the tragedy of it all. But this is still about Bi-Han.

Getting tricked into leaving his village earlier than expected, Hanzo encounters “Bi-Han” on his way to the Kumamoto Castle. You can already imagine what happened to his family and clan while he was away. 

After defeating “Bi-Han”, Hanzo runs back to his village only to find that everyone had been slaughtered (this scene actually almost made me start crying.) 

Before he even gets time to process the death of his wife and son, he is backstabbed (quite literally) by “Bi-Han”. 

It is revealed, like usual, that this entire time it was Quan Chi disguised as Bi-Han and was also helped by Shang Tsung to perform this attack on the Shirai Ryu. He quickly converts Hanzo into the vengeful specter he is so he will participate in the Mortal Kombat tournament and in exchange, he will be able to get his “revenge”. 

Now none of this is really news. Yes there are changes there and then but what if i told you this is a lot more tragic than you think?

Not only did Hanzo lose his family and clan, he died thinking he was betrayed by his childhood friend, who had sworn to agree to peace between their clans. 

That's what finally leads us to season 2 ^_^ 

. . .

In season 2, they take a very interesting spin on the Sub-Zero and Scorpion rivalry. Like I mentioned earlier, Hanzo and Bi-Han were actually childhood friends.

They would meet up at the hayfield outside their villages to play and train together, which I believe might be one of my favorite takes on their relationship. I think making them childhood friends makes their relationship a lot more deeper and interesting than it is presented in the games. 

While they sparred however, Kuai Liang appears and tries warning his brother of their father and his guys coming over to stop them but Bi-Han doesn't listen, which ends up with both him and Hanzo getting in trouble whenever the Shirai Ryu member's father shows up as well. 

As Hanzo is taken by his respective father, Bi-Han’s reminds him of the rivalry between the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu. 

“Why do you keep playing with that boy?”

“Because he is my friend.”

“He is not your friend.”

“But why?”

“His clan aren't to be trusted.”

“But why?”

“It's the way it's been since before your grandfather was born.”

Bi-Han still doesn't understand it, but his father dismisses him. 

They nailed the childlike curiosity and confusion in this. Maybe it's just because I love these types of tropes, but it was a delight to see just tiny Bi-Han and Hanzo be friends and play together despite their differences. 

20 years later, we get reintroduced to Hanzo, taking a walk with Harumi and Jubei.

Jubei separates from his parents as he runs deeper into the road, and ends up encountering Kuai Liang and two of his goons, who hold him captive as Hanzo has to intervene to help his son. 

Kuai Liang talks about how Hanzo and his family are intruding in Lin Kuei territory, so Hanzo argues that the road is neutral, decreed by the shogun.

Hanzo then threatens to tell Bi-Han about this intrusion which leads to a confrontation between the two. 

It ends up with something I found EXTREMELY unexpected, that being the death of Kuai Liang.

Now I can't say I like this version of him at all, but it is interesting seeing a version of Kuai that not only doesn't survive, but also seems egotistical and ambitious. As kind of lame as his death was imo I still thought he was.. something. They had to sacrifice him for the better Bi-Han. Fly high 🕊🕊🕊

Later on, Hanzo and Bi-Han reunite at the same place they played as children to settle things about Kuai’s death.

Bi-Han believes Hanzo when he tells him he wasn't the aggressor in the situation and grieves about how Kuai Liang had always felt underappreciated. He still apologizes on his behalf, and he and Hanzo agree to never have the clans clash with each other again as they shake hands like good friends do!

Tweaking trying not to mention Bihanzo this entire time tbh. But point is:

There is something extremely charming about this version of Bi-Han and Hanzo trying to settle the differences between their clans. It makes what comes next so much worse, but also a lot more fascinating like how the Hell did they not make this canon in any of the games. 

But yeah at this point you know this won't have a happy ending.

Next scene shows us Bi-Han being awakened from bed, being given the horrible news. 

Hanzo, his family and clan, were all gone. Brutally murdered by his men. 

He snaps, and I just have to share the dialogue in this because it drives me insane.

“Hanzo and I had a truce. This was to be a new era. An end to the senseless violence. Then why do I wake from my bed to find you, who I entrusted my men to-.. Hanzo? His whole family? His entire clan? Slaughtered. He who I had promised to end this violence.”

This alone says a LOT about Bi-Han's character. 

He never wanted this to keep going. He just wanted to have peace between the clans, to have an alliance with his friend who had trusted him. His friend who is now gone. He didn't wanna walk into his father’s footsteps and this makes Quan Chi even more of a fucking asshole than in the games and DAMN IM ALL HERE FOR IT.

As he is about to go off, he is interrupted by a mystic of the Lin Kuei, offering to show him the truth of what had happened. 

In between this they throw a flashback of Hanzo to remind us that he died thinking Bi-Han killed his family just to add salt on the wound i guessssss. 

We then cut back to the mystic and Bi-Han, who shows him what truly happened and the participation of Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. 

Having Bi-Han find out who Quan Chi is from the beginning is another interesting idea from this series (not counting mythologies here) and I like the fact Bi-Han mainly joined the tournament to make amends with his old friend. 

But I also sit down and think about how horrific it must have been for him, seeing Hanzo being stabbed and told lies by someone pretending to be him. Just seeing his dead friend and family must have sent shivers down his spine (no pun intended).

In the end, it cuts back to the present, the fight between Sub-Zero and Scorpion. 

The fight ends as you would expect, Hanzo wins and murders Bi-Han, finally getting “revenge”. But if everything that I've told you so far doesn't make his death tragic enough, then maybe his last words will. 

“No- Hanzo! I gave no such order! You’ve been deceived! Please Hanzo don't do this-”

Gets decapitated without a chance.

. . .

Now to explain why i dig this verison of Bi-Han so fucking much.

I believe that MK Legacy gave so much more to his relationship with Hanzo, as well as actually making me feel awful for his death.

A pretty recurring theme in the MK franchise is to have Bi-Han Sub-Zero be quickly killed off and replaced by Kuai Liang, just to later turn into Noob Saibot. So not only was it refreshing to see something different that actually made me upset he was unfairly killed, it was also nice to see a “what if”.

What if he and Hanzo were childhood friends? How much would that change their rivalry in the games?

What if Kuai Liang had just died or never turned into Sub-Zero so early? How different would events turn out if Bi-Han had only time to shine longer?

What if he did find out about Quan Chi impersonating him early? Would he also go on a quest to hunt him down scorpion style for slandering his honor? Or would he care at all?

While this series answers these questions (in a way) they have so much goddamn potential to be a plotline in an actual mortal kombat game LIKE IT'S INSANE. 

I personally have the belief that MK1 could have even improved by borrowing some of these concepts. 

Have Hanzo be their childhood friend instead of Harumi. I would have loved to see a rivalry like this between Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu in the new era, but guess NRS just loves crushing everyone’s dreams (I refuse to blame Lulu for this.) 

Overall, all these new concepts and the way they were delivered is why this is my favorite version of Bi-Han ever created.

It makes Noob Saibot a lot more tragic than he already was, and it lets me explore who Bi-Han was as Sub-Zero before that transformation. 

PLEAAAAAASE someone has to see the vision (and the Bihanzo one too if interested wink wink) (i also like Kuaihanzo btw) 

[centi-pedve]

we wonder how far the whole "you need to have media literacy" thing will go considering it very much is a trained skill with little to no tangible benefits for most people (emphasis on tangible) + most media literacy education focuses on journalism rather than fiction + encouraging people to take up a trained skill, a typically very boring and exhausting one, by mocking them or getting angry at them is a losing battle + people use "you need media literacy" for both important things (understanding what is and is not racist) and for unimportant things (you misinterpret my blorbo) with the same level of disdain

how we see it "media literate" is adapting more and more into an undefined concept around intelligence with the same sort of weight that being a "good person" is to being an undefined concept around morality. what really sells this to us, is that the way people vouch for media literacy on here is NOTHING like how it's taught in schools, despite people saying it is. it's "you have the wrong perspective" rather than "your reasoning to come to this conclusion is flawed." there's not supposed to be a right answer, people take different things out of the same scenes because multiple interpretations exist but that has entirely died on tumblr. if you can defend your interpretation then it's not a lack of media literacy, you just have a different opinion. lmao. and yes even if it directly contradicts what the author intended, if you can defend it with examples from the material and debate about it, it's correct. this is basic english class stuff.

anyways maybe its not that big of a deal. like as long as you're not chugging bigoted propaganda and going So True it doesn't matter. we enjoy engaging with media but the way some of (most of) the users here go off about it makes it a real turn off and we actively do not want to or even intentionally misunderstand things because the media literacy crowd is so annoying while giving no actionable advice. it's just an insult man, it's just a way to make yourself feel superior, do you want people to be media literate or do you want to kick people who have the Wrong opinions about your Babygirl or, dare we say, be disabled in a way which affects their interpretation of things. like dunno maybe the world would be a happier place if you could leave people alone about their interpretation of dave strider when they weren't even formatting it as an argument or analysis la la la or maybe be able to discuss it in a civil manner at least la la la

[microwaving-tesilid-argente]

This post is a response to that one anon who sent in an ask about something that happened in webnovel 223.

I would have replied to your ask but tumblr ate it up :( but anyway, thank you sm for sending the 2nd ask! it warned me about the 1st ask containing spoilers so i was able to avoid reading it. And I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was for the TL to reach 223 so I could finally read your ask. Anyway, the 1st ask + my response under cut

Aw, it's quite disappointing to hear that the genre change wasn't a big thing later on. I can't say if it maybe was in subtle ways anyway, bc. well. We literally just hit ch 223 and I have nothing on what came after. (But if I do see it I'll make sure to make a meta analysis post on it later!)

I think that the reason why the genre change doesn't feel significant is because of the genre it changed to: Action Fantasy. Ailette has spent most of her time in this life either fighting or training. In other words: her life was already an Action Fantasy story. She doesn’t need to make any changes to her lifestyle, she doesn’t suddenly get confronted with Romance-oriented narrative challenges. And so our narrative tone doesn’t seem to change either.

Like what the TM Gods said, what was important was removing the restriction that “relationships outside the original story will result in death”. And to do that, they just needed to:

destroy the original story (ie. get rid of the “time loop” part of the story) +

provide a new anchor for this world to rely on (making Ailette the new MC)

That MC changing to Ailette feels insignificant is probably also because Ailette has always been our protagonist. In other words, from the perspective of this world and the gods in it, something existence-changing has happened. But it’s not apparent to us because we exist outside the story as readers to S-Class Heroine, which already has Ailette as its protagonist. The genre and MC change is from the perspective of the characters, not us. They didn’t need to dramatically change the story from our perspective. (To them, we in fact don’t even exist at all.)

On the topic of the genre change again, the genre change probably would only have felt more significant to us if it had changed to Romance like Ailette had hoped. It would mean that the things that are narrated – ie. things that end up having significant consequences on the characters’ lives – are all romance- and not fighting-related. Ailette would probably spend all her time working on her interpersonal relationships instead of beating demons up.

Meta-wise, I think that this would not have been a wise writing choice. One of S-Class Heroine’s greatest strengths is that unlike most knight-themed OIs, the MC genuinely finds great joy in gaining martial strength (it’s not just a job or a setting to show off how just and noble she is). And the narrative honours that by giving a lot of screentime to the joys of training and fighting – separate from the romance. The fighting scenes are an ends in and of themselves. The reader is supposed to take joy and be invested in Ailette’s non-romance fighting adventures. 

I bet that there are quite a lot of readers who appreciate S-Class Heroine’s balance between action and romance. To have the story shift so dramatically to romance at the expense of action would have been a disservice to the readers who have enjoyed it for 200+ chapters. Admittedly, I’m pretty sure that most of us really wouldn’t mind; we probably came across it because it’s Rofan – but S-Class Heroine is a gem because it manages to be actually action-oriented as well. I think it’ll just be a waste for that to change, when tbh it doesn’t really need to - S-Class Heroine manage to do romance just fine even when both leads were very pointedly trying to shut up. S-Class Heroine works better without dramatically changing its meta (our-universe) genre.

And the thing is that S-Class Heroine is only a Romance Fantasy to us because we knew from the start that it was a romance story. In S-Class Heroine the webnovel, Ailette’s underlying romantic motivations were very much the point, even when– or rather especially when they weren’t explicit. But to Ailette, the romance bloomed completely organically. When it was revealed in the Toy Mansion arc that Ailette was exempt from Tesilid’s Commandments restrictions, we all knew it was because of The Romance. But Ailette was really only concerned about how it’d make her life easier, and she didn’t see Tesilid romantically for like. Years. The story that we read as outsiders and the life that Ailette experiences don't line up completely, because of the lens through which we view it. S-Class Heroine is a Rofan to us, but for Ailette, who very purposely did a bunch of mental gymnastics to shield the narration from her romantic feelings and who spends most of her time training anyway, it has always been an Action Fantasy.

And so basically, TLDR;

The Genre and Main Character Change Ticket has to be read from the perspective of the in-universe characters, to whom its name was actually relevant to. The Genre and MC Change Ticket is not for us. It’s a tool for them and it’s the language they use to understand their world, not for us to analyse the story’s meta narrative. 

It’s confusing because we’re using the same words; genre action fantasy romance etc., but they mean different things depending on who’s speaking them and activating the words. To Ailette and the TM Gods, genres are like keys unlocking different paths they can navigate this life with; it’s like choosing what course to take in school/college. To us, genres are ways to analyse S-Class Heroine the story, which just so happens to centre around Ailette.

There’s probably an ORV-esque point to be made here about the author-protagonist-reader relationship, especially the protagonist-reader one. Something something the protagonist exists outside of the reader’s own needs and projections and interpretations and the protagonist has their own concerns and worries and perspectives, which need not be a complete mirror of the reader’s own, even in a story where the reader is meant to identify with the protag. Something something joongdok divorce arc, I think. Don’t quote me I haven’t read ORV in 2 years and I never understood that arc. But I think the themes are similar.

Yeah anyway thanks for listening to me yap. Sorry if what you meant by “it feels like the MC change should have been more significant” wasn’t actually “it feels like we should have felt some substantial change in the narrative”. I’ll come and re-answer this ask again when I’ve read more chapters, if this wasn’t the case.

[your--isgayrights]

Holy shit are you the one that wrote that really good orv soulmates au? You're killing it! Also do you ever think about Kim Namwoon? I do. I think it's cool how he's introduced as a chuuni with no moral code, but as the story progresses he somehow develops into this odd character that represents the lack of a divide between good and evil. At first, his actions in the train are shown as cruel and evil, but then you realize that in some ways, he's actually kind of right? Ima write an essay (1/??)

Ok so im back- so I can't put images in an ask, but Kim namwoon's monologue about killing that woman is actually really interesting. He talks about how they HAVE to kill her- If they don't, they're all going to die. And that's wrong (but only because of the grasshoppers- is Gilyoung wasn't there, He'd actually be in the right here) So, in the context of the first scenario, Kim Namwoon is 'evil'. but as you read more, you realize a lot of stuff which retroactively redeems him (2/??) For example, Everyone outside of car 3807 who survives is a murder, just like Kim Namwoon. And they aren't evil for it- there's a distinction made between murderers and monsters. There's a lot of this- The scene in the theatre dungeon on the boats (live no matter what), etc etc. and we see that Kim Dokja isn't opposed to them either. The main reason he let Kim namwoon die is because he hates him. which is cool! especially because it leads the way for future character development (3/??) Regarding their relationship- Kim Dokja has to come to terms with the fact that Namwoon wasn't actually all that bad, both by working with him in the underworld and meeting the ''him' from alternate regressions. This arc works for two purposes- 1) It relates to the theme of evil versus good- Kim Namwoon is neither, so it's unfair to treat him as one or the other. But the second is my favorite- Kim Dokja's opinion of Namwoon serves as a kind of metaphor for his opinion on himself. (4/5) We know from the text that He sees Kim namwoon as similar to him, and so it's interesting to see him stop hating him as he comes to terms with stuff.

Always cool to hear from someone who's read wall fic :). You reminded me that there's a few Kim Namwoon scenes in the next chapter I'm excited to write... but my writing anxiety has been acting up again on the end of chapter four and I have to finish sewing a l/eech be/anie b/aby from scratch this week, so it'll probably be a bit til we get there.

I think that your analysis is really interesting, mostly because going at it from the angle of "morality" of omniscient reader is a perspective i kind of lack on my own. Like good vs evil is one of The themes of ORV that they hand out to you in their list of themes they have written on some literal walls, but honestly its not something i really think about on my own. For me, like you mention, the big emphasis of KNW's character is what he represents to Kim Dokja, bc i think one of my favorite themes is the relationship of him as a reader to the WoS characters and the "impossible communication" theme.

I think that one of my favorite aspects of Kim Dokja is the way that he was able to empathize and see himself in the different characters in WoS and give them the specific comforts they needed at different times in the story (reaching out to LJY, SYS, YJH, etc) and fundamentally giving them someone who is on their side and their for them when everything is lost and they are alone, because that's something that he didn't have. All throughout reading ways of survival, the only thing by his side was this story. He sort of knows what the solutions to their problems are just cause he knows what he needed back then... so this really positive trait is coming out of his projection of his own thoughts and feelings from the past to these characters he loves. It's great that we have Kim Namwoon as an inversion of that, a character onto whom he's projected not the struggles he faced, but rather the traits that embarrass him.

This is mostly my interpretation but I really feel that there are similarities in the ways KDJ talks about himself as a child idolizing Yoo Joonghyuk and going through a chuuni phase and the way that he talks about KNW, and I think him being unkind to KNW is an extension of him being unkind to himself. Like at the beginning of ORV KDJ is in this place where his hero worship of YJH is at this crossroads with his view of his own self that he expects YJH to just treat him like a bug he has to exterminate unless he proves some other value. This perspective is interesting when you take into account that KDJ of the past would imagine being friends with the WoS characters and even used to pretend he was YJH, and that in fact the entirety of ORV was something he had continuously planned out since childhood when he wrote stats in his school notebook because it paints this picture of his daydreaming just being brutally beat down as he grows up and starts thinking about what would be really "realistic" with the kind of person that he believes himself to be... And then as that process is happening, Kim Dokja reads over and over again YJH just, at the start of every regression, picking up this annoying younger guy who's so desperate to impress him and somehow manages to get his attention while being embarrassingly chuuni and seeming to revel in the chance to kill someone... I think what you say is interesting about whether or not KNW was "right" to murder someone on the train, but honestly I don't think it matters as much whether or not he was right or wrong, just that Kim Dokja thought he was being an asshole about it, lmao. The whole thing of him killing Kim Namwoon is really interesting to me becaus it's a mix of a lot of great things. On one hand it's a big asset for the theme of a reader in the world of his favorite story because the premise of "My favorite book is real so I finally get to kill that character I've always hated," which is hilarious in its own right, gets turned into "wow I killed a 19 year old" when he's slowly starting to realize WoS characters are Real People, but it's also honestly a big piece of forshadowing for the end of orv before the epilogues and Kim Dokja's true character. Kim Namwoon's type of character is the kind that in most apocalypse stories is setting the tone of the edgey new reality, introducing the fact that people will die. He also represents the very idea of being forced into a situation where you must become a murderer or die; the jumping off point of WoS that Kim Dokja as a character fundamentally connects to. As a kid, he was forced to defend himself from his abusive father, and ultimately killed him. This is a central, scarring event of his childhood, and even though he represses and warps this memory into his mother's version of events, the concept is still something real to him and something that shapes his way of thinking. Obviously sometimes killing is necessary, but to enjoy it too much or brag about it on some level is associated with KDJ's past with his mother who wrote a book about murder and himself who once had to kill someone... It's obvious why Kim Dokja would hate a character representing this kind of narrative, that someone must be killed and because of that those involved are blameless, because Kim Dokja always pushes the blame of others' deaths onto himself... because in the world where everything is as Kim Dokja imagines and dreams it to be, KNW comes back as a spirit of vengeance to temporarily stall him on the bridge, there's an idea that KDJ deserves some retribution that he avoids to pursue his goals, which is consistent with what happens at the end right before the epilogues -

(quick digression: I've said this before and I'll say it again; I think that KDJ killing KNW is the reason that YJH tried to kill him in the beginning of ORV. KDJ dismisses it as YJH being an asshole for no reason, but I really believe that on some level YJH saw that KDJ just killed his chuuni little mentee and was like okay i want this guy to die. also getting into orv ending spoilers here ok)

-where KDJ tries to kill the kid version of himself by using disconnected film theory and stabbing himself. Like I genuinely think that KDJ avoids thinking about morality with the efficacy of "I know that I'm in the wrong, but I'm always wrong and terrible and regardless of what ever I am I have to get to the end of the story" and then after that whether or not he feels that he deserves salvation or damnation because to him the story that he loves is both...

gah, that was a tangent. I just mean that I think that part of killing KNW is Kim Dokja trying to kill a part of himself, the part of himself that dared to have the dreams that he had about the WoS characters being his family, just like he tries to kill the OD who still has those dreams... and is utterly baffled that those dreams could actually be realized in any universe. Additionally, the turn around KDJ has with KNW reminds of this in that he sees KNW in this constructive environment where he kind of just gets to be a kid and build gundams and realizes that these things that he hated about himself and KNW were just like... things that kids do. Like being chuuni about murder and the dark truth of the world is just a phase that teenagers go through sometimes just like building gundams... /hj... and like being cringey and having unrealistic ideas and desires isn't inherently malicious, like how we see KNW in the alternate dimension is just sort of a little brother character who has a crush on LJY and fools around with his mentor's stuff... It's similar to the kind of realization you want KDJ to have at the end towards himself when he sees the OD going with SP and crew to be a family lmao.

i wrote a bit lmk if i misphrased something or lost a train of thought somewhere

[bad4amficideas]

Do you write yandere hcs for the Batboys? If so, can I request for some headcanons of how each of them would deal with a reader entering a deep state of meditation after she gets kidnapped and she has a sort of like a necklace that creates a protective forcefield around her but that only activates when she meditates. I hope this isn't confusing and thank you :) Btw, I loved reading your work, it was awesome :) And do you know any other blogs who write stuff for yandere DC? I'm hooked on them now lol

Below the actual answer dear anon!!!

Just to say I have read this question on other blogs and I have asked myself at times, I love the specificity (like, I'm the one who asks for an isekai!shy!reader x yandere with/out soulmate ofc I like it). Also as side note, the first time I read it, I mentally relived the episode in which Batman took the ring from Green Lantern, that damn smirk included. You said Batboys, but I had to mention it because that scene inspired all of the HC and that's where things flowed. Anyway, my thoughts:

Note: English is not my language, so I hope you will be understanding of any flaws you find.

Definitely all the boys would try to analyze the strength and the diameter of the shield and assess whether or not it changes according to the type of attack and/or your concentration. And the origins of the necklace's power? Does it need recharging like lantern rings? Is it magic? If it's, can a magi remove it?

But I also think it really wouldn't work as well as they would think and I think all this would be first discovered by Jason or Tim (intentionality or analysis respectively); by analysis I mean here taking out the letter to letter and word to word of the magical things and the lawyer perspective and asking, and with intentionality I mean I doubt that Jason actually shot you to kill.

My reasoning/what I mean is, what does it define protection/protective? The limits are yours or does the shield have some kind of conscience and choice in the matter? yours subjective or yours objective? If the yandere in question just wants a hug or throw a blanket over you, counts as an attack or that not happens until "impure/dark thoughts enter" while touching you. If you start to starve yourself and said yandere wants to force you to eat, will the shield let him pass? Reasoning, both your self-preservation instinct and shield should both approve of something. You know, in a state of meditation you give up eating, washing, etc at some time you would break or faint (maybe 2 months without eathing, even maybe eternally without sleep thanks to the meditation, but, but BUT without WATER??? and what if you need to take some medications??).

In "pure intentions" (more like iron mind for the one who was once jokerized) Tim, here are some winning ballots so he can ignore the shield and win more time to think something else, then totally Jason, he's a keeper, well, I lied Jason is the more likely to get break the necklace but not damaging you in any form, either playing gunman or god knows how.

And of course, then there is the issue of concentration. All batboys, some more than others have been tortured or trained to, at some point in their lives. So, even if it isn't physically, I have no doubt that Dick, for example, would be able to break your meditation (sweetalking with the help of his time working with victims in the police) and Damian, well, if the League did not include some psychological torture I would feel disappointed, you know, light play to epilepsy, drop, drop, drop, total sensory isolation, those things that can drive you crazy.

So to the question, how would they handle it? It depends on their patience and how long can they see you suffer. But no good and anyway will not matter because that necklace is a double edged sword, they will pick that quickly and they will win at the end. Although you can be sure that, as soon as they manage to remove it, you will not see it again.

[theresistanceneverquits]

I spent all day yesterday drawing a TMNT 2007 comic for a class, and so I had time to think about the movie and so here’s an analysis I guess:

• Leo’s training vacation seemed to do more harm than good. When he returns (6 months later than he was supposed to), he doesn’t feel he succeeded in his training, he doubts his skills as a leader, and the whole situation is a point of contention with Raph.

• When we get to their fight scene, they are both responsible for their current situation. Raph is responsible because he let his feelings of jealousy and abandonment guide him and taint his relationship with Leo, choosing to be hostile with him at every given opportunity. Leo is responsible because he has such a hero’s complex that he views himself right 100% of the time leading him to not give others a chance and coming off as kind of a superior jerk towards them, and because he doesn’t even bother trying to talk to Raph about why he’s been acting out. Heck, when Splinter sent him off to bring Raph back to the group, he decided to antagonize the Nightwatcher instead.

• During their fight scene, there’s a lot of miscommunication. Neither of them really listen to the other. At the beginning of the scene where Leo is “lecturing” the Nightwatcher, Raph can’t hear a word of what he’s saying, all while Raph mutters to himself. They quite literally do not hear the other. Then after Leo realizes Raph is the Nightwatcher, Raph takes mostly to just shouting heated words at Leo. Leo shares his genuine concerns about the whole Nightwatcher situation (“risking the safety of our family”) and explains his perspective to Raph. “I was training to be a better leader. For you. Why do you hate me for that?” Yet Raph completely avoids the question, choosing instead to shout, “And who said I wanted to be led?” Raph’s jealousy and issues of inadequacy are made apparent throughout the film. In the original script he tells Leo here that he believes he should have been sent on the training trip, and he tells Splinter, “I know why he’s the better son and I’m not.” But Raph would never admit to being jealous of Leo, because he is ashamed and bitter. But also tangled up with the jealousy are feelings of abandonment. In the original script, the film opens with a monologue from Splinter of a young boy who is “grief-stricken” when his brother leaves for war. Raph makes a painfully obvious amount of snide comments about how Leo abandoned them: “You can’t leave home and come back expecting us to fall in line like your little soldiers.” “You’re gonna quote a rule book to me you ain’t been following for a year?” “Leo’s back. Come say hello before he leaves again.” Raph’s older brother, in his mind, abandoned him and their younger brothers. Leo’s training was supposed to last for 6 months, but Leo made the choice to stay for another 6 months, and it seems Raph is taking that personally. But Raph isn’t going to tell Leo how he feels because of his pride, because he has shown that he doesn’t seem comfortable being vulnerable around anyone but Casey, and because when Leo arrives he immediately takes a strong stance again the Nightwatcher–against him. Raph tells Casey “I could never leave this place. I can’t even fall asleep without the sound of the subway rumbling over my head.” Which is important for two reasons. 1) It reinforces him feeling abandoned by Leo, because he can’t understand why he left in the first place. And 2) it reveals that he doesn’t actually want to have gone on a training trip, even if he’s said otherwise. His jealousy of Leo is more contingent, in his mind, that he is not good enough, possibly because of comparison.

• How is the Nightwatcher any different from the Ghost of the Jungle? Raph looks after the little guy as the Nightwatcher, while Leo as the Ghost of the Jungle is shown to take care of small villages in Central America. And ironically, Leo criticizes the Nightwatcher for his excessive use of violence, yet most viewers interpret Leo’s opening scene to have him killing a man, which we do not know of Raph doing.

• I feel that the film could have stood to have maybe 5 minutes of more content. My biggest gripe is that they don’t really complete Leo’s arc, only Raph’s. Raph comes to terms with his inferiority complex and even has his chance in the limelight as leader. And he apologizes to Leo, which is valid, given that Raph spent the entirety of the film doing nothing but antagonizing him. However, Leo’s conclusion is more muddy. He ends up with a better relationship with Raph, but Leo didn’t put in as much work to earn that (though it could be argued that that’s because Raph’s side was the more volatile of the two). Leo’s fears when it comes to leading again are basically a non-issue after his talk with Splinter when he returns home; that conversation being evidence of his nerves itself. However, after that scene, Leo’s issue with leading ends up stemming from Raph’s disobedience. He complains multiple times about him not listening, and his only response from Splinter is basically, ‘well you’re the leader/oldest, so you’re the one who has to suck it up.’ Leo isn’t given any backing–and Raph becomes more smug–so Leo feels more isolated as leader. He becomes more driven towards the “I am always right” mindset in an attempt to regain control, which only leads to Raph’s breaking point. He taunts Nightwatcher and takes him out easily. But when he finds out the Nightwatcher is his brother, he demands to know why Raph has been doing nothing but show resentment towards and undermine him. And when Raph snaps and challenges him to a no holds barred fight, Leo expresses that he doesn’t want to fight him. But after a moment of hesitation, Leo gives in. Leo believes that he will beat Raph in the fight, and he is sick of Raph’s attitude. Leo is prideful in that moment. And Raph gets a moment to prove that he is Leo’s superior, but the cost is that he went too far. The 2012 show mirrored this when Raph hurt Leo sparring, with Raph claiming that the enemy will not hold back and Splinter telling him that they are not fighting the enemy when they are in training. Raph treated Leo like the enemy in this fight. When Raph and the others rescue him, Leo tells Raph that he’s gonna need him if he is going to lead them. This shows Leo dropping his pride and seeing Raph’s source of hurt, and instead of saying that Raph needs to just listen to him for once, he tells Raph that he needs him. Leo stops being indignant and shows understanding. Oh wait I guess I understand how Leo’s arc did conclude. I redact my statement from earlier. Anyway. Raph’s disobedience after Leo’s seeds of self-doubt only strengthened that self-doubt, and it’s only when Leo lets go of his control and pride that he finds the resolution he has been hoping for the entire story. Though, that resolution could not have happened without Raph’s own self-reconciliation about his worth. Their narratives feed into each other; they are the indirect cause of each other’s strife, which leads to their own doubling down on their opinions, before they mutually heal each other.

[dwlrmoon]

Birth Chart Reading - Qian Kun: a Born Star

Ever since Kun notified us of his birth time, I knew his rising & house placements could only contribute to how magnificent he is. I know us czennies/weishennies are always talking about how Kun can do anything, & honestly? He can, & in this essay I will focus on that specifically.

REMINDER

Observed through western tropical astrology. There's so much to discuss about him & his chart, but I wanted to focus on his creative talents & his ability to achieve so much in his lifetime? May be missing stuff, feel free to send me messages if you have any additions!

CAPRICORN STELLIUM IN THE 6TH HOUSE

Let's start with the biggest accumulation in his chart—the Capricorn stellium comprised of his Sun, Mars and Mercury. Being Saturn ruled & cardinal, Kun is extremely ambitious especially when it comes to being successful, achieving things, or anything related to his profession in general. He puts in a lot of effort, he's a starter & he goes through with his actions with the perseverance of his Taurus as well as his Capricorn.

Keep in mind that Taehyung from BTS & Joshua from SVT also have this identical chart except V has an Aries Moon, but both he & Kun are crazily talented with a variety of hobbies (apologies, I don't know much about Joshua yet).

The 6th house rules our daily life, habits, & trivial jobs, but most importantly also, the behind-the-scenes. I think Kun can be someone who follows routine because of this, or just extremely productive? He utilizes his daily/free time productively a lot just based on the Capricorn 6th house placements only. We know this proves to be true because his hobbies are insane & I will further discuss this later. However, I mentioned that the 6th house also symbolizes behind-the-scenes so Kun is very involved in that field; composing, writing lyrics, producing... all of that.

Capricorns are also the type to put in great effort into everything they put their mind into, a Saturnian theme I discussed in my I.M analysis because Saturn is about reaping what you sow. They are determined & can teach themselves anything—they will end up mastering whatever it is they want to.

TAURUS MOON & MIDHEAVEN

His Taurus Moon is exalted & Venusian—he loves the art & I know he loves music. He has such a saccharine sweet voice that's very gentle, & his Taurus Moon could contribute to that. He is blessed with Venus ruling his 10th house, the house of profession & calling. He's meant to be an artist, especially musician.

In addition to his Capricorn his Taurus is fixed earth, meaning he is extremely determined & will persevere through anything that he knows is worth it. Taurus placements may be slow since they are the heaviest (fixed in modality, earth in element) & represented by the bull, yet they will slowly, but surely get to where they put their mind into. Remember that the fixed modality can be described as stubborn, once they decide on something they don't change their minds often. With Taurus Moon 10th house & MC I know Kun could not give up on his artistic ambitions, his placements beyond the Taurus won't allow it either, but his Taurus really pushed him as well.

AQUARIUS VENUS 7TH HOUSE

Aquarius is the eccentric sign that's innovative & brings fresh perspectives. Aquarius, like mentioned in my I.M analysis, again, is the sign of notoriety, fame & celebrities. Having his Venus, the planet of love, art, & preferences in this sign makes me think he will be able to succeed in music when he is allowed to do what he wants. He's opinionated & requires artistic freedom to succeed. Remember that Aquarius is still Saturnian, except it is seen as the rebellious & individualistic one & the 7th house also embody contracts. However, to be positive this may mean he could have unprecedented connections who can collaborate with him!

LEO ASCENDANT

Now this is closely related to the Capricorn as well because the Sun is his chart ruler. As a Leo Rising Kun is just... a born star, truly. He commands presence, he's charismatic & charming, he's creatively talented, also really friendly? Leo rules creative pursuits, so it's no surprise he is so creatively inclined (along with the Taurus).

His chart ruler is the Sun in the 6th, so there's a great emphasis on his Capricorn even more with the stellium, but also on his Sun particularly. The Sun represents our ego & inner core, having it in the 6th makes me believe he will really shine working behind-the-scenes. He shines on stage (Leo) but also behind the curtains (6th).

LIBRA NORTH NODE & PALLAS IN THE 3RD HOUSE

In tropical western astrology the North Node is considered our future, a higher calling if you will, while the Pallas is equivalent to Athena in the Greek mythology—where your innate wisdom & talent lies. He has both of those placements in the Libra, a Venusian sign. Kun is a great speaker, he has a Capricorn Mercury in the 6th along with a Libra 3th house encompassing Pallas. On top of that his Pallas conjuncts the fixed star Spica, one that is considered as the most positive stars in astrology, giving its native success & a love for the arts. He was able to harvest that blessing from the Spica with his Pallas, I think!

SAGITTARIUS JUPITER & VERTEX 5TH HOUSE

He also has a domicile Jupiter in the 5th house—this man is really talented & has an expansive amount of creative hobbies. The Vertex really strengthens this since it's an asteroid symbolizing our fate & destiny which resides in the house of creative hobbies. I also believe this house & its occupants is one of the reasons why he has done everything? With the cardinal energy & adventurous Sagittarius 5th (+ Aquarius Venus) he desired to acquire air pilot & train conductor licenses.

ARIES PARS FORTUNAE 9TH HOUSE

Pars Fortunae symbolizes great success, & I just found it very interesting that he has his in the 9th house. Kun may have needed to be autonomous for his success, as in having the courage to knock the door first, but it will bring him great success in return because it's in Aries, the cardinal fire sign ruled by Mars. The 9th house is other cultures & writing as well, so I thought it was very interesting since he became a singer through the k-pop industry & he is great at languages on top of a songwriter.

[cheri-translates]

Hello! Just wanted to say thank you for all the translation of MLQC content (especially Gavin). I fell into a deep hole of MLQC by binging your translation. Just wondering what’s your perspective or analysis on the dynamic/relationship between S2 Gavin and mc. Are they friends just working together but obviously there’s something between them? Since S2 where they’re more mature and on the same wavelength

Hello Anon~ May you enjoy your stay in the deep and cosy hole of MLQC ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ 

🍒 S2 spoilers under the cut 🍒

Short answer: As of Ch 17, I’d describe their relationship as old friends who have complete trust in each other, and will protect each other with their lives. Also, Gavin has a crush on her.

-

Long answer:

1. Old Friends and Gavin’s crush

It’s strongly hinted that Gavin has feelings for MC, both as a teenager and as an adult! 

While MC gets flustered by him (e.g. shooting game in Ch 9) and cares deeply for him, I’d say that the crush is more one-sided on Gavin’s part.

Papergames wouldn’t want to step on any toes by making it seem as though MC is inclined towards a particular love interest unless it’s in a split chapter or a date!

In Throbbing Date, baby Gavin secretly bought her strawberry milk and said he'd protect her 🥺 THIS BOY DEFINITELY HAD A CRUSH AS A TEENAGER.

Despite how the writers tried to mislead us multiple times from the karmas that adult Gavin and MC are adversaries given their respective organisations, it’s crystal clear that Gavin doesn’t view her as one. Amongst other things, he:

gave her a ginkgo bracelet in Ch 1

was open to letting her listen in on his call in Ch 2

asked her for assistance in an interrogation in Ch 9

said he’d always protect her in Ch 9

unconsciously drifted to her house at one of his lowest points in Ch 11

gave MC his oxygen concentrator in Ch 16

was only vulnerable around her in Ch 16

The question here is whether he’s treating her simply an old friend or if he likes her romantically. 

I’ve done an analysis on their early dynamics here which describes how Gavin has a soft spot for MC even when he appears guarded. When we see their banter in [R&S - Reunited Yesterday], he seems to treat her more like an old friend. 

But we later on, it’s evident that Gavin’s feelings do extend beyond mere friendship.

In Chapter 2, Gavin prohibited Tang Chao from making physical contact with MC.

In STF Filming Project, Gavin was visibly jealous when MC mentioned “a very kind person” i.e. S1 Gavin.

In Chapter 9, Gavin went into blush mode just because they shared his jacket underneath the rain.

In Chapter 11, MC asked why Gavin chose her to work with him in such a dangerous operation. Gavin hinted that it was because the people keeping an eye on him knew how important she is to him:

Gavin: Cough. Under these circumstances, the person I’d want to involve least in this matter… Without a doubt, that person would definitely be you.

-

2. Complete trust in each other

Gavin’s trust in MC can be seen in most of the bullet points stated above. 

As for MC’s trust in Gavin, she:

was relieved that Gavin was handling the investigation of Kiro’s incident in Ch 2

was not fearful at all when they were surrounded by flames in Ch 2

expressed how much she trusted him in the rain in Ch 11

let herself fall off a rooftop, knowing he’d catch her in time at the end of Ch 11

-

3. They protect each other

There are so many instances of them protecting each other in Season 2!

Notable Instance 1: Throbbing Date

I let out a faint sigh, slanting my umbrella towards the kitten next to me.

And then:

A shadow suddenly cloaks me from above. When I lift my head in shock, a large and warm school jacket covers me, including my head.

This scene is especially significant if we contrast this with the way they met in S1. Back then, MC covered the kitten with a handkerchief. 

Just as an umbrella is more durable than a handkerchief, MC is more courageous in S2 as compared to S1. Even so, Gavin still steps in anyway, protecting her with whatever he has to offer.

-

Notable Instance 2: Chapter 9

But the jacket doesn’t seem to be large enough, and isn’t sufficient for two people to walk while standing side by side. After a moment of thinking, I stagger slightly, standing in front of Gavin.

Here, Gavin’s jacket isn’t enough to cover the both of them. 

Symbolically speaking, Gavin’s methods of protecting MC aren’t always enough for the both of them. In S1, he lost control of his Evol and he had no choice but to leave her side for a period of time. 

While S2 Gavin cleared MC’s name from false allegations multiple times, he didn’t even know that MC was involved in the Hunter Game till in later chapters.

So what does MC do? She stands in front of him, which is a protective stance. She works on being stronger herself, and strong enough to protect him.

As we see in later instances, they do protect each other.

-

Notable Instance 3: Chapter 9

Gavin: When it rains, you should keep the umbrella for yourself.

Here, Gavin is discouraging MC from getting involved in dangerous situations. As far as possible, she should protect herself first. Let’s compare this with Chapter 11.

-

Notable Instance 4: Chapter 11

I walk over slowly, lifting the transparent umbrella over our heads. Rainwater patters against the surface of the umbrella, becoming the only sound in this silence.

And later on:

Gavin takes the umbrella in my hand, his eyes carrying with them resoluteness and certainty.

Gavin’s a Commander who has been through field training under intense conditions. He doesn’t need an umbrella. Furthermore, the rain had already drenched him to the bone. 

In such a sorry state, there was absolutely no need for him to accept MC’s umbrella. Yet, he did.

Symbolically speaking, the acceptance of MC’s umbrella represents his acceptance of her protection. This was likely the moment when he decided to involve her in his investigations of the New Years Eve Incident.

-

The remaining two notable instances are self-explanatory:

Notable Instance 5: Shooting Stars Date

Gavin: Don’t worry. Since I agreed to let you come along, I have sufficient certainty that I can protect you. You won’t face any accidents.

MC: ...

Before I can say anything, the controlled “meteorites” plummet straight to the ground. I seem to hear the piercing sounds caused by the intense friction.

Gavin: Give me your hand.

Gavin offers me his hand. I stare into the depths of his eyes, neither anxiousness nor worry in my heart. There’s a courage from simply standing beside him.

MC: Okay. In that case, I’ll bind my safety to Captain Gavin. I won’t let you come to any harm either.

-

Notable Instance 6: The oxygen incident in Chapter 16

Just before the final wisp of oxygen leaves my chest, I halt my breathing, feeling for the portable oxygen concentrator I carried along with me.

…at the very least, Gavin has to leave this place safely.

In the dark waters, I try my best to feel for the corners of Gavin’s mouth, stuffing the portable oxygen concentrator into it.

All of a sudden, I feel the corners of my mouth being pried open by something icy cold.

MC: Mmph?!

I take a breath instinctively, but don’t get choked.

When I open my eyes, Gavin’s frantic expression crashes into my line of sight. The tips of his fingers press against my lips, and he seems to be confirming if I’m biting on the object in my mouth properly.

In the dim light, I see that the portable oxygen concentrators in our hands are on each others’ mouths.

[musicallibrarian93]

Inside Azriel’s mind (moriel/elriel/gwynriel)

Okay so I know this is a hot topic atm, and tbh I can see it going either way. However, I think I’m more partial to Gwyn right now and like all the fics I’m writing atm are Gwynriel supporting, but like I said it could go either way. 

Anyway I kind of wanted to get into Azriel’s head a little bit, so here is my analysis. 

Azriel had an awful childhood, didn’t believe he was worth anything. Gets taken in by one of his mothers friends and slowly starts to build up some kind of family. 

He meets an extremely kind and beautiful girl (That’s Mor btw) and he’s besotted with her, as anyone who has met Morrigan would feel, and possibly around the time he was plucking up the courage to say something and perhaps start to feel like he was worth more. Mor decides that it’s Cassian who she wants to sleep with. 

Now, regardless if you think what Mor did was right or wrong (btw she’d entitled to do whatever she wants, and I personally think she chose Cassian more out of panic and wanting to get out of her predicament rather than to hurt Azriel) it still hurt him. He was bound to take it personally, no matter the intention behind it, and I think this is where a large part of his feeling of worthlessness comes from. 

We get told Azriel has been pining for Mor for 500 years. I think this is BS. I believe he loves her and she’s family to him but he’s more in love with the idea of family and relationship, which Mor and the rest of the IC represent to him. However, Azriel being Azriel and not confronting his feelings may just take it at face value and think he’s in love with her (Idk this is a grey area). 

In addition, Azriel is a freaking Shadowsinger, he knows to some extent that Mor is/ has been involved with females. He would respect her privacy and never out her, but he knows for sure that she’s attracted to females. Mor herself says in ACOWAR, that it confuses Azriel when she sleeps with males. Why would it confuse him if he thought she exclusively liked males?

In terms of Azriel’s pining for Mor, it’s split into two possible paths. 1) I think an element of Azriel’s self-loathing could be that Mor has kept this secret from him? Like maybe he feels like because Mor doesn’t want to share that with him yet, that she views there relationship in a different way than he does. Or 2) (which I find more likely) He’s protecting Mor’s secret from everyone else? So when he beats up Eris at the High Lord’s meeting, maybe that’s his way of saying, ‘I stand with you/ will support you no matter what’ - but it’s coming across as romantic feelings because apparently being territorial is the only way an Illyrian can show they care. 

Anyway, Elain comes along. We know she’s described as the most beautiful Archeron and we know that the two have numerous moments where they are fascinated by one another. That scene where he realises she’s a Seer. Gorgeous. When he gives her Truthteller. Stunning. Arguably there is some kind of connection between them. I believe during ACOWAR is when Azriel starts to see Elain in same way he's been seeing Mor, or at least thought he’d been seeing her. Here is this misunderstood, lost soul that he gets on with really well, and it’s the first time he saw a future with anyone. He’d been telling himself it was Mor but maybe this whole time it was supposed to be Elain? 

Az sees a very strange situation arising. Rhys and Feyre are mates. Nesta and Cassian are mates (You cannot tell me Azriel didn’t know about this way before ACOSF). But Elain is mated to Lucien. That doesn’t fit the pattern. He says himself that he doesn’t understand how that turned out. Thinks the Cauldron got it wrong. And I think a lot of his attraction for Elain stems from a ‘this is what was supposed to happen’.

Then we meet Gwyn. Glorious Gwyn. Their history is so interesting. We know that he’s the first one to show up at the temple and they talk about in ACOSF how Azriel just killed all the Hybern soldiers. Which was strange because he normally brings them back for questioning. I’ve already seen theories about this being the mating bond and I would not be surprised. We know that when Rhys’s parents met, his father misted the men who were handling her so it’s not unlikely. But Azriel at this point is a little lost. His brother has just returned after 49 years, he doesn’t know if war is coming, he’s apparently pining for Mor and everything is up in the air. So I think anything he might have felt (i.e. the pull of a mating bond) would have been pushed deep down. Rhys talks about how he’s seen Cassian throw up after killing someone but that it doesn’t seem to affect Az in the same way, therefore Azriel is good at pushing down his feelings. Shocking I know. So upon seeing Gwyn for the first time he doesn’t even register what she might mean to him. 

Fast forward to ACOSF and Gwyn sees Azriel in the training ring. Cassian notes that she stiffened, perhaps because it’s the first time in 2 years she’s seen the male who killed a room full of soldiers who were attacking and abusing her (this is more likely) or maybe she feels something too (I think it’s possible and I wouldn’t put it past SJM to be like -that was a clue- but it seems tacky and dismissive of her trauma) 

Azriel sees Gwyn grow and train. And I think there’s a part of him that’s like ‘damn this girl is cool’. And we all know what happens on solstice. With Elain and Azriel, I really would have loved it if we saw that kiss but I can’t shake the feeling that at this point they’re both just a little bit upset that all their friends are in relationships and they’re not. I know there’s more to their relationship than that and that Azriel can’t bear the scent of her mating bond but I think they’re both quite lonely at this point. 

Having said that I don’t think anyone acted wrongly on solstice. Regardless if Elain has strong feelings for Azriel she is well within her rights to kiss him and at this point Azriel isn’t flirting with Gwyn, his obsessive pining for Mor seems to have gone so he’s well within his rights too. And Azriel is damn hot. Good on them. Rhys also isn’t in the wrong, I made another Tumblr post explaining this :).

Azriel was hung up on Mor, Elain helped him see a different future. Or that a different future was possible so when Rhys forbids it, Azriel has found himself unattached, I guess, for the first time since he was 18. I don’t want to dismiss his feelings for Elain and say that he only used her but I think she was instrumental in making him realise what else he deserved. 

Azriel and Gwyn then flirt and Idk about you but that must have felt quite thrilling to him. Unashamedly flirting with someone, not worrying what someone else might think. Anyway the next morning Elain gives him back the necklace, whether she saying ‘I shouldn't be doing this’ or ‘I don’t want to do this’, it’s clear that for whatever reason she wants to forget what happened. And Azriel intends to return it but decides to give it to Gwyn. Now I know this is gonna cause tension somewhere but like I don’t completely hate him for this because he doesn't give it romantically, If anything him giving it to her triggers the romantic thoughts, and he gives it anonymously. 

We know that Gwyn and Azriel get closer after solstice, all the little. flirty bits with the ribbon. Ugh so cute. And we don’t know anything about Elain and Azriel’s relationship during those 3 months leading up to the Rite so for all we know they’re just getting on like they did before. But I think Azriel is enjoying flirting and being close to Gwyn. It’s a easy-going relationship so far without heavy demands and questions of fate, it’s just pretty normal. Yes they have a history to work through but we don’t know if they’ve confronted that between them. (BTW I would like to have a full version of ACOSF from Azriel’s perspective cool ) But I think regardless if Gwyn and Az are mates, they’ve found people they can just be themselves around and that’s kinda beautiful. 

In summation, Azriel is a complex individual. It might be that he doesn’t end up with either Elain or Gwyn, although I find it unlikely because the bonus chapter sets that up for some kind of love triangle. But I hope I made sense, I know it’s like word vomit but oh well :) I love Gwyn and Elain and I do not want them fighting over a male. That’s tacky and they’re both better than that. Personally I would love see Elain go on her own journey and heal and find her indepence. (I’m gonna make a post about this). But yeah I just want them all to be happy :) 

[scftizuku]

Big 3 vs Wonder Duo (Which one will end happening in My Hero Academia)

Okay this topic has been on my mind for awhile now i mean their is evidence for both the wonder duo and the big 3 (especially from the vibe that I’ve been getting from the war arc) So i’ll try to break down evidence for both sides and come to my final conclusion on what might actually happen at the end of the meta analysis

Big 3:

Alright lets start with the Origin trio. This trio first became a official hero combination from the Endeavor Agency arc. Within that arc we as readers were able to learn more about Shouto as a person and his family dynamic. Now you could say that Deku and Bakugou being their was due to the fact that they are the protagonist and deurotagonist (which are valid points since it would make sense for them to be present in the Todoroki family conflict since one Izuku has helped Shouto a lot since the Sports Festival and on Bakugou’s end he got to bond with him during their remedial license exams)

The Endeavor Agency arc is the first time that we got a hint towards a possible three way combination in terms of skills. Izuku and Katsuki learned more about Shouto’s home life and we even got Fuyumi thanking Izuku for being his friend (which was important in terms of a successful hero trio working in the near future) having all of the members in it have something that binds them emotionally will ensure the strength in their bonds.

Let me break down 2 dynamics within the Origin trio (Im saving Bakugou and Midoriya’s part of it for the Wonder Duo section):

Todoroki Shouto and Midoriya Izuku:

Izuku telling Shouto that his power isn’t his fathers but his own helped Shouto embrace himself. This big moment helped fans understand Izuku as a character and that he didn’t care about winning but being able to help Shouto accept himself for who he is.

When Todoroki and Bakugou fought at the Sports Festival Izuku was showcased to be cheering Shouto (who at that moment was hesitant to use his full power) this ignited his flames to come full force which was big for Shouto’s character

During the Stain arc Izuku sent out a signal to his location (which Shouto saw) and we see him worried for his friend and he makes his way to Iida and Izuku

During the aftermath of the stain arc Shouto showcases his worries and protectiveness of Izuku and Iida.

In the Forest Training arc Izuku was having trouble connecting with Kota and Shouto was able to give him advice by stating “ "Even he's told all the right things, if you don't know his background then you'll only succeed in annoying him" and continues with  "The important thing is, what the person who's saying it has done...and what they're doing now. I think that words are always accompanied with deeds.",

Shouto’s advice to Izuku showcases how much Izuku trust his advice and judgement (again a big change from where they were from the Sports festival)

When Izuku fought Muscular Shouto’s words came back as a form of encouragement which helped him defeat the villian and become close with Kota.

"Even heroes cry sometimes." which was a quote Shouto said as a mean to help comfort Izuku who struggled when learning about all the horrible things that have happened to Eri. That scene showed how perceptive Shouto was in the feelings of others and also showed his method of trying to help someone.

When Shouto fought against Tetsutestsu in the Joint Training arc the symbolic moment that started the beginning of their bond which was the reminder of Shouto’s quirk being his own helped him with his fight

We also have their friendship being stronger when Izuku talks to Shouto about his path to forgiving his father and saying that he is kind (Endeavor Agency arc)

Izuku saves Shouto from Dabi by using black whip and states that Shouto is his “precious friend.” which that signified how powerful their bond is

I wont mention all the moments that they share as I am saving more on the shipping aspect for another blog post but my point on these two supporting each other endlessly still stands. Izuku has helped encourage Shouto when using his quirk and in return Shouto has given Izuku such helpful advice when stuck between a crossroad. From canon alone Horikoshi showcases their unconditional support for each other.

Todoroki Shouto and Bakugou Katsuki:

From what canon has given us in terms of the introduction of their bond Katsuki has viewed Shouto as another rival of his while Shouto isn’t scared of Katsuki and his temperament at all.

Shouto and Katsuki are usually shown to bicker and banter with each other which is usually fun to see when observing their dynamic

Katsuki overheard Shouto and Izuku’s conversation after the calvary battle (which in a way foreshadowed his bond with Shouto getting stronger since it was able to connect him to the other two)

The Forest of training arc was the first arc that showed how natural Katsuki and Shouto were with one another (as compared to the Sports Festival)

Their friendly bantering continues when they both have to retake the license exam again. The running joke of Todoroki insisting that they are friends and Bakugou denying this is always a joy to see.

Bakugou was one of the first people (alongside Deku) to understand Shouto as a person when they were interning with Endeavor

Bakugou and Todoroki in canon both notice each others strengthens and made multiple comments on this. One example of this is when Todoroki used one of his well known attacks from the Sports Festival against his fight with Deku and Bakugou states this while bantering with Todoroki which he quickly responds with “I weakened the blow by a bit. Are you hurt?”

During their retake to get their hero license Bakugou opens up to Todoroki about how he was raised and that violence is needed against their challenge with the children which Todoroki comments that there is a better way that they can get through to the children.

Just from canon context alone these two have such a playful yet rival like bond and even to the current point of the manga we never really see these two break out of their usual bickering and bantering. I wont elaborate much on this since I plan to do a post more in depth about all the personal relationships. In canon we don’t really see a lot for them being explored but the potential for them to bond more is their and I have no doubts that Horikoshi will do this justice (especially if the big 3 route is endgame)

The timeline of where the third MHA movie will take place can play a factor to this as well. If the movie takes place during the Endeavor Agency arc then it wouldn’t really leave much room for fans to interpret Shouto’s role after he finds out about OFA. However, if the movie takes place post war arc “All for One and One for All.” which was the movie teaser’s highlight it could solidify the importance that Shouto will have once he finds out what Katsuki already knew about Deku.

Big 3 Evidence:

Deku, Katsuki, and Shouto were all shown to admire All Might when they were younger. 

Ever since the concept of the big 3 was introduced (Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire’s debut) it gave fans the idea that a future big 3 will come into play. It was just a matter of who would be apart of it

War arc hints that Shouto will be let in on the OFA secret (which was something that binded just Deku and Katsuki before) with this knowledge it will connect the three of them 

With quirks alone all 3 of them are compatible and would be an ultimate tag team

Endeavor Agency arc once more hints of the potential trio with Katsuki and Izuku fighting alongside Shouto in order to save Natsuo from Ending. The first time we got to see these three join forces and showcase everything that they’ve got

Small parallels between them and the current big 3 (Mirio and Bakugou) (Deku and Amajiki) and (Shouto and Nejire) I might make a post on the comparisons soon if you guys are interested.

Trios have been shown in the My Hero Academia universe (examples: rooftop trio which consist of Aizawa, Shirakumo, and Present Mic) which considering that the three of them wanted to open up their own agency as pros but sadly could not it wouldn’t be surprising that the Origin trio ends up doing so instead.

Endeavor hints on this possible trio by saying that the three of them need to have the three fundamentals which are rescue, evacuation, and battle. Izuku (Rescue), Shouto (evacuation), and Katsuki (battle),

Wonder Duo:

Shifting perspectives let’s discuss some evidence of Horikoshi ending the series with the Wonder Duo. Now with this hero combination it was stated at face value during Deku vs Kacchan 2 ( chapter 120) by All Might who says “If the two of you can recognize each other and honestly raise each other up, you can become the best heroes who both win and rescue.”  This was the first indication that not only could they become a hero duo but also that these two would rekindle their broken bond by the conclusion of the series.

Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku:

From what we know prior to the beginning of the series Izuku and Katsuki knew each other since childhood and that their relationship started off rocky (since they were set up to become rivals) 

To show the closeness of Izuku’s connection to Katsuki he calls him “Kacchan” while even tho Katsuki’s originally meaning of the word “Deku” meant worthless Izuku took that name and made it his hero name.

For seasons 1-3 (before Deku vs Kacchan 2) Katsuki believed that Izuku had always looked down on him hence him pushing him away which he yet again confirms in the war arc that because of his weakness he ended up bullying Deku because of it

When Bakugou got kidnapped from the villains he states “stay back Deku.” and as a result we have Deku screaming out in agony when the villains took Bakugou away during the training camp arc

Following his kidnapping scene Deku cries at the hospital about not being able to save Katsuki (despite during that time of their development Katsuki wanted to push Izuku away)

When Deku vs Kacchan 2 occurred fans got to see Katsuki become vulnerable for the first time talking about why had it been him that ended All Might’s career. This following with Deku stating that he is “the only one who can accept Kacchan’s feelings.”

"to the same extent of all your unpleasant traits, your sheer amazingness at everything you do was so brilliant to me, it was blinding!" (quote from Izuku during the fight) followed by "You, who had so many things that I never had... to me, you were an amazing, inspiring person, who was even closer to me than All Might!"

Deku vs Kacchan 2 was the pivotal fight that changed the entire course of their dynamic since it was the first time that fans got to see the two of them unleash all their emotions that they had been keeping in for years

In Heroes Rising Deku shares OFA with Bakugou and commenting that "It's okay if it's you," when talking about having his childhood friend hold that power and also showcases Izuku’s trust in him.

During the Meta Liberation War arc when Izuku tries to find Shigaraki and try putting a end to all of this Katsuki notices this and follows him commenting “because being a hero means protecting everyone." foreshadowing the save mentality that Katsuki has when he put his life on the line to protect Deku from Shigaraki’s attack 

Link to a perspective that tackles the possibility of Bakugou and Midoriya being a hero duo in the future.

https://sacred-stoner.tumblr.com/post/174064238438/the-other-day-an-anon-sent-me-this-ask-thank-you

Wonder Duo Evidence:

During the provisional license arc Aizawa talks to Mrs. Joke about how Bakugou and Midoriya encourage and inspire the rest of the class (with a screenshot of the two of them while he says this)

During the Final Exams arc Midoriya and Bakugou were partnered together to take down All Might and that fight showcased the miscommunication the two of them had (despite them winning against him in the end) the fore shadowing of these two working together could be hinted as far back as the final exams arc if thinking about how shounen writing sets up rivals.

All Might’s quote about the two of them being the types of heroes to “win and save” made a return as we are shown during the war arc of Deku trying to achieve victory while Bakugou gained a quirk awakening because of his desire to save Deku. In other words having them switch perspectives in the current point of the story really does come a long way

Horikoshi mentions that Heroes Rising was meant to be the original ending for the series which could mean that a) the scenario of Bakugou and Midoriya working together in the series finale would stay and that the main difference is that they would be pros or B) the duo would be changed to a trio and that Shouto’s involvement might be intertwined with Izuku and Katsuki... still unsure on which route)

When All Might vs All for One happened we had a screenshot of the two of them calling out for All Might to win. Showing not only their significance to All Might but also foreshadowing them working together in the future

Throughout the series Horikoshi highlights their bond as one of the focal points in the series by not only setting them up as proper rivals but also being able to repair their broken bond (which in turn all goes back to All Might hinting at them becoming a hero duo)

We’ve seen some duo combinations as well as trio ones in the series example being Hawks and Endeavor during the pro hero arc (it was temporarily but the point still stands that as fans we were able to see how successful a duo could be in the series)

Foreshadowing can come a long way since the series has started with Midoriya and Bakguou through middle school it very well could end with them finally fixing their broken bond and become the heroes that will win and rescue.

Sorry this took so long everyone I was just gathering my thoughts on this interesting discussion. I can see Horikoshi going with either route but as of right now its possible that we could get the big 3 while Deku and co are still teenagers and then have the wonder duo happen when they become pros (which if this were to happen then there would need to be some explanation on what happened to Shouto during all this)

Im unsure of whether the big 3 would happen when they are pros or only for the time that they are still teenagers.

I could also see Shouto being in charge of his father’s agency and allowing people with all types of quirks to intern there (especially if Endeavor ends up passing away before the conclusion of the series) which might be the likely explanation we will get if the wonder duo route is still something Horikoshi stands by.

Final thoughts: As of everything we have so far I will go ahead and say that we will actually have both with the big 3 being officially confirmed as the Origin trio while they are still teenagers but the wonder duo happens when they become pros. This topic was such a fun and interesting one to dive into so regarding personal bonds i’ll do another post.

This post is meant to view them as hero combination not shipping wise so with that said I hope this post was worth the wait.

[thekrawratalksbnha]

alright let’s talk: what is up with the todoroki family (bnha 291 analysis and theories aka 2k+ words of word vomit as i try to process this chapter)

so. we have new information and it’s not really what a lot of us were expecting. i know that i at least was expecting a story that aligned pretty closely to the story we got from shouto — just with a more, uh, tragic ending. 

but well…that was wrong. so lets talk about it. what we know about the todoroki family, what we assume and try to figure out what their deal is. 

so grab your beverage of choice, a snack, get comfortable, because this is probably going to be a long ride. 

where it started:

ah yes. the sports festival. what an arc. and of course, it’s the arc that kicks of the “keeping up with the todorokis” arc we all know and love. here, todoroki spills his tragicTM backstory with midoriya and we are off to the races. 

it’s the conversation and subsequent thoughts from shouto that shaped our understanding of the todoroki family. 

so quick rundown of what was revealed:

endeavour bought rei. it was a quirk marriage and endeavour was only after rei’s ice quirk. 

shouto was raised to be a hero who surpasses all might, to fulfill endeavour’s own ambition

shouto only remembers his mom always crying

endeavour created shouto to surpass all might

generally implies that at this point in time, he doesn’t view shouto as much more than a means to an end (his perfect little doll, anyone?)

he’s not impressed with shouto’s rebellion

he views shouto as his greatest creation, his masterpiece

he was already in training at 5 years old, trained to the point in which he threw up (revealed in shouto’s memory)

shouto was kept separated from his siblings (revealed through memory)

rei states that the children are becoming more like endeavour and that she sees endeavour in his left side (revealed through memory)

endeavour sent rei to the hospital after that for injuring shouto (revealed through memory)

shouto had suppressed memories of rei and her encouraging him to still be a hero and that his power is his own

so wow a lot of information provided in this arc. and it’s really important to recognize that it’s this information that most assumptions were built off of. any new information provided up until now could reasonably fit into the narrative shouto laid out in his conversations and his memories, and so they were. 

but was that wrong to do? in re-examining this arc, and in light of new information there are a few key factors that should be addressed:

it’s almost entirely from shouto’s perspective. all the information we get is through shouto’s eyes. (with a little bit from endeavour — but not much)

shouto is a kid, the youngest and in this arc has already proven he is capable and did forget and misremember incidents and events. his perspective is in no way 100% reliable.

shouto only blames two people for the negative events in his life. himself, and mainly — endeavour. in this arc (though it has since seemed to change), he was willing to and did see endeavour in the worst light possible (for valid reason but nonetheless, he wasn’t inclined to give endeavour the benefit of the doubt)

the point of going over this? in moving forward breaking down the rest: it’s really important to consider that there is valid reason to believe that shouto could be wrong. or maybe not wrong, but not fully right either. like us, he’s probably made assumptions about his own family based on his own experience. and while most of it is probably founded and he has good reason to believe it that doesn’t mean it’s true. 

so how can we figure out what is true? 

other perspectives:

good thing we’ve got a few other perspectives to look at. so what do we know from the other members of the todoroki family. 

rei has been pretty far removed from the family since her hospitalization. she’s been improving and now has a good relationship with most of her children. she actually vouches for endeavour to natsuo despite everything.

fuyumi lives with shouto and endeavour. she is the most vocal about wanting to give him another chance, and has hopes for them to be a family again.

natsuo was close with touya before he “died”. perhaps the most against endeavour out of the bunch. endeavour was a stranger to him but natsuo holds the neglect and treatment of shouto, rei and touya against him.

notice so far there is a pretty definitive through line here. 

rei and fuyumi both seem more inclined to give endeavour another chance. both reference positive attributes and fuyumi has admitted to wanting to be a family again. 

natsuo and shouto (to different extents) both never reference anything good endeavour might have done. the closest we get seems to be shouto admitting endeavour is a good hero. both never reflect on their relation to endeavour with anything resembling fondness. and while shouto seems open to idea that endeavour could try to be better, both have made it clear that they are unfamiliar with what a “better” endeavour would look like. 

the most important note here considering the new information: natsuo and shouto are the youngest in the family. natsuo is four years old than shouto, meaning most of his memories are probably from after shouto’s birth (ie after endeavour got his “perfect” child), with a few from a few years before. and obviously shouto has no memories of a time before he was born. 

fuyumi and rei on the other hand, both probably have a fair amount of memories from before shouto. fuyumi would have been around 7 at the time of shouto’s birth and rei of course has been around since the beginning. 

so why does this matter?

well because it makes it a lot easier to understand some of the information we received in 291. speaking of which, now that we’ve established all this — let’s dig into that. 

the pre-shouto family

291 gives us the first time we see the todoroki family before shouto’s birth. and again, while making no arguments on whether or not todoroki enji was a good father or not, it’s clear that it was very different. 

some major points:

endeavour speaks about touya in a way that is very different from the way endeavour spoke about shouto back in the sports festival. and in general. it’s unclear if this difference is related to how endeavour feels about touya and shouto or if it’s a pre-atonement v seeking-atonement endeavour. nonetheless - it’s interesting to note. 

endeavour comments about being fine (happy?) with the fact that neither touya or fuyumi had his dream quirk. while he hadn’t forget about it, at the time he believed touya could fulfill his ambitions and wasn’t necessarily pushing for a child with the half-hot/half-cold quirk. 

touya wanted to train. the scene in the training room with touya was very different from the scenes with shouto. despite the harm his quirk caused him, touya seemed to be enthusiastic about training.

rei agreed to having more kids thinking that it would be good for the siblings to be able to encourage each other. the siblings weren’t separated before shouto to our knowledge. 

endeavour reveals that he kept searching for touya. 

an important note: all the perspectives—literally all of them—contradict each other to some extent. i talk about how all the todorokis are unreliable to some extent here, but for the purposes of this chapter: i’m assuming endeavour’s to be the most correct. largely because at the time of the events in question age-wise, endeavour was the most capable of remembering accurately. he could very well be downplaying things, or have misread situations — however, since his atonement arc begun, he’s been able to recognize some his wrongdoings and the pain he cause his family. i’m not saying his perspective is entirely true, just that it’s probably more accurate than dabi. regardless…

so once again i pose the question: what the fuck does all this mean?

well…

endeavour was probably kind of…okay, until ~around~ shouto’s birth. 

the implications of what that means for shouto sucks. but given the information we have, that seems like the most likely situation. but let me be clear:

i’m not saying he was good. i’m just saying he wasn’t awful yet.

and when you think about it, it makes a lot more sense them him being awful the entire time. it’s clear that no matter what, endeavour was after someone to succeed him and be better than him — but it’s the most overpowering when he talks about shouto. 

yes. he did marry rei at least partially because of her quirk. but keep in mind that we don’t have any reference for how they met/got married beyond shouto, who as previously established isn’t the most reliable in regards to his family’s dynamics. 

BUT while he did train touya, it didn’t seem to be as forceful as it was with shouto. if they were more of a family unit prior to shouto’s birth, a lot of rei and fuyumi’s accounts, feelings and beliefs have a lot more foundation. fuyumi’s aspirations for the todoroki’s to be a family isn’t unfounded because she has memories of a time that they were, unlike natsuo and shouto. rei’s belief in endeavour having the potential to be a good man makes a lot more sense if there was a time that he was. 

keep in mind that while the endeavour we know was very focused on the rankings, he did ultimately choose to be a hero. and that has connotations about his character. 

so at long last what is up with the todorokis. 

well let me give you my best guess:

what if enji and rei married — not necessarily out of love, but not a straight up arranged marriage either. i think maybe enji initially noticed rei because of her quirk, and they went through some weird strange version of courting. obviously, they had conversations because at some point he learned that about rei’s favourite flower. so maybe it wasn’t love. but with the information we have from all sources, i think there is a lot more we don’t know yet about this story.

they had their first kid, touya. when touya’s quirk developed, enji probably started teaching touya how to use it. the two of them probably spent a lot of time together and enji’s approach to training touya was probably much gentler than his approach with shouto. he also was well aware of touya’s weakness since it was a more extreme version of his overheating. nonetheless, touya wanted to be trained and endeavour could see the potential touya had, putting his ambitions on his first son.

rei and enji agreed to have another kid. rei wanted touya to have a sibling and enji was still hoping for someone with a balance of both quirks. when fuyumi didn’t have both, he thought it was fine and continued forward working with touya. 

now we have next to no information about the time around natsuo’s birth. my guess is that things were pretty status quo. the scene with touya and enji in the training room, touya looks to be somewhere between 5-7 maybe. so i’d guess that it took place somewhere around natsuo’s birth (probably shortly after)

i think that scene, is when enji probably started to realize the hard limit touya was facing with his quirk. which could have been the start of a downward descent. maybe endeavour started trying to train the weakness out of touya. maybe he got more intense. maybe he started neglecting touya at this point. it was probably the first big step onto the major slippery slope endeavour was about to go down. what he wants is no longer necessarily achievable and his ambition begins to get the better of him.

he probably was slowly starting to guess that maybe touya wouldn’t necessarily live up to his aspirations — but he still didn’t have a better option. 

and then shouto came into the picture. 

i’m not saying shouto’s birth was a complete 180 for endeavour. nor was it in any way shouto’s fault. but i do think it was the figurative final straw in enji’s descent. the catalyst.

by best estimate touya would have been around 9 when shouto was born (running off of the theory that dabi currently around 24). so sometime between dabi being 9 and 14, enji put all his attention onto shouto. 

and think about that moment: shouto is born and at some point it becomes apparent that he has the quirk endeavour has dreamed of. and the reactions start to make sense here. 

endeavour who has long since dreamed of this, forgets everything else. it’s a point of obsession for him. up until now, half-hot/half-cold was theoretical. and he fucks up big time. cuts off the other kids, is brutal to shouto, because he has a clear path to victory now. shouto just has to be perfect. and this cause not only for him not to really view shouto as a kid. but also to destroy his relationship with touya. 

touya still a young kid at the time goes from probably training and spending time with his dad everyday to never seeing him. after having the entirety of his life up till this point being told that he is endeavour’s successor, he’ll be able to do what endeavour couldn’t and then getting replaced, it’s a jarring shift. and it makes dabi’s grievances make sense. 

everything touya has known has changed going from being the favoured child to being completely ignored and neglected. and cue his rapid descent. his crying to natsuo about why he existed because he doesn’t know anymore. the fact that ultimately the belief up until this point was that he pushed his quirk too hard alone and that lead to his death. his taunting of shouto as a puppet for endeavour. 

meanwhile shouto is suffering through what we know he’s been suffering through. 

and yeah from here on out, endeavour is an awful dad. but as of right now, most of the evidence in my best interpretation of it leads to the idea that maybe he wasn’t as awful at the start.

but also, it gives reason for endeavour’s “redemption” arc. when he got what he wanted in becoming number 1, his whole reason for creating and hyper focusing on shouto was reduced to nothing. so he starts to realize the affect his ambitions have had on his family. the idea that endeavour could be capable of any sort of true atonement feels a lot more likely if you consider that he has and has demonstrated the ability to not be a flaming piece of trash person in the past. 

the want for atonement, todoroki enji’s current characterization just makes a lot more sense if you view it as something that didn’t come out of nothing. as something that was always there, just pushed aside in favour of relentlessly pursuing his goals. and it makes sense that the real bad stuff would have kicked in once it seemed like his idea failed with touya and then receiving exactly what he wanted in shouto. 

so yeah: that’s what i personally think is up with the todoroki family history. there’s so much to talk about and i definitely missed somethings so full apologies if i forgot about any glaring facts. 

there’s a lot more that could be said. and there’s some smaller topics related to somethings mentioned here that i want to dig into a bit more. 

until then, this has gotten way too long so anyone who actually made it to the bottom here—thanks! feel free to come yell at me about endeavour or dabi or shouto or anything else really. this is a super interesting arc and it’s great to see so many elements coming back into play. 

also i do want to mention: my whole stance on the “is dabi right? is endeavour right? who is good?” is pretty generally neither. i think endeavour and dabi are both very strong characters that operate in that morally grey area. while i’m not necessarily a fan of the endeavour redemption—knowing what we know now it makes a bit more sense to me. at the end of the day, right now, both have done awful things and neither should really be excused for what they’ve done. but no one has to be right or good. they are both deeply flawed characters and that’s what makes them very interesting to follow. so props to hori for executing them really really really well. love them or hate them, the parallel’s and arcs between endeavour and dabi are very interesting to explore, and i’m living for it. 

my opinion is in general to stop fighting over who’s right or good or at fault or justified and just like idk, enjoy the story. 

any way, i’m done. until next time!

[wickwrites]

Burning as a Motif for Humanity in Violet Evergarden

I think, when watching Violet Evergarden, most of us picked up on fire as a motif for Violet’s trauma – the violence and destruction she witnessed in the war, and the violence and destruction she engendered with her own hands. I’m not going to go into this too much because it’s all pretty self-explanatory, if not trite, but here are some quick examples of fire as a motif for her trauma just to lay the groundwork for the rest of the essay:

In frame 1 (episode 8), Violet draws first blood on the battlefield, and the once contained fire from the felled soldiers’ lanterns spread quickly through the forest, a symbol for how one small act of violence can cascade into large scale destruction. In frame 2, Gilbert stares at the carnage in front of him, horrified. In frame 3, the major is shot, and all we get to see is a screen of flames. In frame 4 (episode 12), Merkulov stares into a fire as he schemes about re-kindling the war.

I want to follow this (well trodden) opinion up with a more encompassing statement. That is, fire, in Violet Evergarden, is not limited to representing the destructive power of violence and trauma. Instead, it is a motif for humanity itself – an embodiment of the full range of experiences and emotions that make us human.  

To show this, I’m going to start off at the beginning of Violet’s journey, focusing on how her disconnect (from herself as well as others) is illustrated in episode one. For instance, her initial struggle to move her now mechanical arms as she sits in her hospital bed in the opening sequence is an excellent embodiment of her dissociation from her own body and lack of agency. I want to, however, focus on two scenes that are particularly relevant for our discussion:

First, the scene where Violet spills tea on her hand:

And second, the scene where Hodgins insists that Violet is burning:

These scenes are similar: in both, someone asserts that Violet must be in pain, specifically due to burning, and in both, Violet rejects that statement. In the first, however, that burning is physical. And in the second, that burning is emotional. Regardless, Violet is so removed from her own body that she is incapable of feeling either. Her mechanical hand is therefore an embodiment of her inhumanity (ie. her “dollness” or “weapon-ness”). Like her, it is cold, mechanical, insensitive, without life or agency. After all, up until now, all she’s been doing is killing on command, without the ability to think for herself, experience her own pain, or sympathize with her victims’ pain.

When the screen shows that Hodgins is indeed correct, that Violet is literally on fire (frame 1), that fire is depicted with restraint. Flames engulfs Violet’s body, but those flames are from a streetlamp enclosed in glass. It is controlled and distant. This encapsulates Violet’s current state; she is literally on fire, but that fire is so compartmentalized and suppressed, and she is so far removed from her own experience, that she is incapable of feeling it.

In frame 2, we are viewing Violet in a flashback, from Hodgin’s point of view. Although we’re offered a close up shot of her bloodied hands, we see, about two cuts later, that Hodgin is actually observing Violet from afar (frame 2.5). This distance demonstrates that he cannot bring himself to reach out to her, something that Hodgin confesses he feels guilty about literally 5 seconds later. They were, at that point in time, and perhaps even now, unable to connect.

In frames 3 and 4, Hodgin is speaking again. We get this super far shot of Violet’s body. The camera is straight on, objective, and unfeeling. This unsympathetic framing has two functions. First, it distances us from Violet. Our inability to see the details on her face and her relatively neutral body language gives us, the audience, no real way inidication her thoughts. Second, it distances Violet from herself. As someone who experiences dissociative symptoms from PTSD, this is a very poignant way of framing what it feels like to be removed from your own experience. Hodgin’s line, “You’ll understand what I’m saying one day. And, for the first time, you’ll notice all your burn scars,” further drives home the sense that Violet is completely estranged from herself. It almost feels like we are looking at her, from her own detached point of view.

We’re going to move on now, but we’ll get back to these frames later in the analysis, so hold onto them.

Throughout Violet’s journey, fire comes up again and again. Specifically, it shows up in moments of emotional intimacy, connection, and healing. Let’s see what I mean by this:

I have here a collection of moments that all occur at the same narrative point in their respective mini-stories: the moment where one character reaches out to another, sympathizes with them, and literally pulls them of their darkness. For example, frame 1 (episode 3) shows Violet bringing a letter from Luculia to her brother. It expresses Luculia’s gratitude and love for him, and ultimately mends their relationship. In frame 2 (episode 4), Violet and Iris share a moment of emotional intimacy and connection, which is the beginning of Iris’ story’s resolution. In frame 3 (episode 9), Violet’s suicidal despondency is interrupted by the mailman, bringing her a heartwarming letter from all her friends. In frame 4 (episode 11), Violet comforts a dying solder by a fireplace.

It’s not that other modes of lighting do not exist – modern looking lamps show up repeatedly in the show. Even Iris’ rural family has them, so I can reasonably assume that, no, the above moments do not all coincidentally use lamps because that’s all there is in this universe; the usage of fire during moments of catharsis is deliberate, and establishes that fire can also bring hope, kindness, and love.

Now that we’ve explored the dual nature of fire as both destructive/constructive, painful/cathartic, let’s go onto the thesis of my essay. Why do I say that being on fire is to be human? Let’s go back to the scene where Hodgin tells Violet she’s on fire (episode 1, on the left), and compare it to the scene where Violet finally realizes that Hodgin was right and that she is on fire (episode 7, on the right):

In these sequences, there is a notable shift in framing and perspective. In frame 1b, we finally get to see Violet’s blood-stained hands from her point of view, as opposed to from Hodgin’s point of view in 1a. Violet becomes aware of her past as an actual agent choosing to kill, shown through the first-person point of view. Similarly, the medium, straight on shot of Violet looking down at her hands (frame 2a) is replaced with an intimate first-person, close-up view (frame 2b). In shots 3a and 3b, the difference in framing is most pronounced. In 3a, we get this straight on, long shot. In frame 3b, the camera’s detachment is replaced by a claustrophobic closeness. While this framing does an excellent job at conveying the panicked feeling of “everything crashing down all at once”, it also demonstrates Violet’s new-found awareness of herself. While before, the camera was used to alienate, now it is used to create a sense of painful awareness and intimacy.

These series of shots are the first in the entire show, I believe, of Violet's body from her own point of view. Their co-incidence with her awakening self-awareness characterizes the state of “being in one’s body” as a precondition to self-connection, or more specifically, to Violet’s understanding of herself as neither a weapon nor a doll, but as a human. Correspondingly, this pivotal moment serves as a catalyst for her subsequent emotional development. From this episode on towards the finale, we’re launched into a heart wrenching sequence of events: Violet’s desperate grieving for Gilbert’s apparent death, her attempted suicide driven by newfound grief, and most importantly, Violet receiving her first written letter, an act that is strongly representative of genuine human connection. Following these events, Violet’s emotional connection to both herself and others only continues to grow; during her two final jobs of the story, she breaks down crying in response to the suffering of her clients, demonstrating a level of compassion—if not empathy—that she seems to have never been able to tap into before.

At the same time, Violet acquires a new sense of agency, making plot-driving decisions that no longer require other characters’ validations. Most poignantly, in episode 12, she chooses to stay on the train to fight Merkulov, explicitly going against Dietfried’s order for her to leave. Her reason?

She doesn’t want anyone to die anymore.

And it’s this moment, for me, that consolidated her as a character with true agency. Up until now, all her major decisions have been framed in relation to Gilbert: she killed in the war because Gilbert ordered her to, and she became an Auto Memories Doll because she wanted to understand Gilbert’s enigmatic “I love you”. Now, however, her motivation is purely her own—she fights, simply because she doesn’t want anyone else to die. It’s a line implies an intimate knowledge of loss. It’s a sentiment motivated by compassion. It’s a raw and extraordinarily human thing to say.

When Violet embarks on her journey to decipher Gilbert’s love, she is devoid of many traits we consider inherent and possibly even unique to being human—suffering, compassion, altruism, love, agency, and the interplay between them. As an Auto Memories Doll, she learns to live, experiencing all these emotions she had never had the luxury to experience before, and we quickly realize that she cannot know what love is without simultaneously wrestling with her trauma. She learns that yes, sometimes the fire destroys and sometimes it burns, but sometimes it thaws too, and you cannot have one without the other. You cannot choose what the fire does to you; you cannot choose what you want to feel. Thus, to be on fire is to know the anguish of its destruction, but it is also, and more importantly, to know the catharsis of human connection, to be the warm flame that pulls someone else out of the dark, to be pulled out of the dark yourself. To be on fire is to be human.

[itsthenovelteafactor]

Vanya and the Phantom

I asked and y’all answered (special thanks to @schizoidwire and @the-aro-ace-arrow-ace  and all the people who responded to my earlier post for encouraging me!), so it is time for how The Phantom of the Opera song introduction can be read as a look into Vanya’s self-narrative and also foreshadows future events in a really subtle and interesting way. 

I’m channeling my inner Elliot and going into full conspiracy mode. This is gonna be a long one, y’all. 

Part One: In Which I Expose Myself as a Former Theater Kid

So, for those who aren’t familiar with The Phantom of the Opera, it was originally a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux back in 1909. In 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber rewrote it as a musical. For purposes of my analysis here, I am just going to be discussing the musical because 1) the score used in the opening scene is from it and 2) I’ve never read the book. (If anyone out there has read the book and wants to weigh in, please do!) 

It’s a very aesthetic show, and draws on a lot of gothic themes and imagery. The plot follows an opera house, and specifically a young chorus girl named Christine Daaé. I’m not going to explain the whole show plot in detail because wikipedia exists, but I will do a quick overview here and point out some things as they relate to things I’ll be discussing later. Also there will be a test after and it will NOT be multiple choice.

The show begins when the opera house is sold to new owners who 1) just want to make money and 2) do not respect the opera house’s resident ghost (who isn’t really a ghost, but we’ll get to that later.) When the Phantom makes his presence known, and freaks out the resident prima donna singer (who will be relevant later) Carlotta, who says she won’t sing under these conditions. It is then that Christine appears. She’s quiet and humble and has always lived in the background, but is incredibly talented. The woman who runs the chorus (also owner of the opera house’s resident braincell) suggests Christine sing the part. She does, and is amazing. Everyone is blown away, and she’s catapulted into instant fame and success. 

We later learn that Christine has been studying under the Phantom, who appears to her in mirrors. She calls him the Angel of Music, and thinks that he was sent to teach her by her recently deceased father. He isn’t. He’s actually pretty malicious, and is obsessed with Christine, wants to control her voice, and doesn’t like her dating anyone. Which is a bit awkward when her childhood friend shows up and promptly falls in love with her. 

Anyways, Carlotta is jealous of the attention Christine has been getting and threatens to leave prompting the new owners to cut Christine from the program. The Phantom doesn’t like it at all, sends a bunch of letters, things escalate, people are murdered, and the whole first act ends with the chandelier falling from the ceiling and crashing onto the stage (which is done with really cool effects, oftentimes beginning the show hanging over the audience. It’s a BIG MOMENT and one of the most iconic ones from the show. This will also be relevant later.)

Act two takes place a few months later, wherein no one has seen the Phantom. Shock of all shocks, though, he’s not dead. He’s been writing an opera and he wants Christine to star in it. More stuff happens, you learn the backstory of the Phantom (which is pretty sad, ngl, but in no way makes him less of a creep) and the story ends with the Phantom kidnapping Christine and giving her an ultimatum: stay with him forever, or he kills Raoul (aka childhood friend/romantic interest guy). She agrees to stay with him and he’s so moved by her compassion that he lets them both go and disappears forever. 

Part Two: Casting the Characters

That’s interesting, Rosie (note sarcasm) but you said this was about The Umbrella Academy? I did, in fact. So, we meet Vanya when she’s playing a medley of songs from The Phantom of the Opera. Since it’s primarily the melodies and not one of the orchestral pieces from her performance later (I don’t think), we can assume she’s just playing it for herself (which is nice! good on you, Vanya). 

Maybe she’s never seen the play and just likes the score, but for purposes here, let’s assume she’s familiar with it. 

You can tell a lot about a person by the stories they connect with (for example, I like TUA because I like fun sibling dynamics, found family, music, and being sad). And I think that it makes sense that The Phantom of the Opera would be a story that resonates with Vanya. The overlooked chorus girl finds power in music, and, after years in the background, is finally given a chance to show how special she is. 

So, yeah. I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility that Vanya sees herself as Christine. There are some discrepancies, sure, but this is Vanya’s self-narrative, which we learn pretty much immediately is unreliable. (Love her, but it’s true.) And if Vanya is Christine, then we can try and tap into her perspective to look at some other characters. 

Anyways remember Carlotta (the prima donna opera singer who always got the spotlight and tried to destroy everything good that happened to Christine because she felt threatened that someone might be as good/better than her whose entire personality and role in the story I just summarized, rendering my plot recap useless)? Carlotta is how Vanya views Allison. (Kind of all her siblings, but her relationship with Allison is the most important here.)

Think about the scene in the cabin? 

“You couldn’t risk me threatening your place in the house! You couldn’t handle the fact that Dad might find me special!” - Vanya, having a mental breakdown.

This always struck me as an interesting accusation to throw, since prior to this moment, I don’t think there was any indication that Allison had ever felt threatened by Vanya. She excluded her, sure, and wasn’t super friendly at times, but the idea that Allison has been pulling strings to keep Vanya out of her spotlight is new. But that is exactly the role Carlotta plays in Phantom. 

Fun fact! At one point in the musical, the Phantom enchants Carlotta so that she loses her voice right before coming on stage. 

Part Three: The Phantom of the Opera is there

So based on everything I’ve said so far, the most straightforward reading is then, that Leonard Peabody/Harold Jenkins (who for purposes here I’ll call Leonard) is the stand in for the Phantom, which works... really well. Both in helping to understand Vanya and also because it foreshadows the twist of season one in a really cool way.

So, the Phantom appears to Christine first not as an enemy, but as a friend and teacher, who encourages her to be more confident in her abilities. He trains her to develop her singing ability. While the teacher-student dynamic is actually inverted initially with Vanya and Leonard, from the get go, he is showering her with compliments, encouraging her to be confident in her abilities, and, at least on the surface, supporting her in a way she hasn’t been supported before (he’s a trash human but an expert manipulator). 

But, in the play, the Phantom is also very possessive over Christine and her power (er, I mean voice). He also is perfectly willing to kill and/or hurt people who he views as standing in the way of Christine and her success (see the aforementioned Carlotta incident). Which is exactly what Leonard does to Vanya. He kills the first chair violinist to help her get it, and orchestrates a whole master plan to get her to reveal her powers on his terms. 

Even the part where he starts “training” her to use her powers kind of resembles the second act of the play. The Phantom wrote a play for Christine and she’s going to star in it, whether she wants to or not. 

(One could even make the argument of the parallels between Christine believing the Phantom was sent by her father to teach her and Leonard showing up because of his revenge scheme against Vanya’s father, but I honestly don’t have much support for that.) 

Part Three: Two Conflicting Narratives

So, as you might’ve noticed, I sort of have two different threads of analysis going on right now. 1) The Phantom of the Opera parallel is part of Vanya’s self-narrative and in it she mischaracterizes Allison, making her more suspicious of her motivations and 2) Leonard Peabody is clearly the Phantom and doesn’t bother being subtle about it. I hope that I’ve been convincing (or at least intriguing) for you to get to this point, because here is where they come together.

Vanya has this parallel going, but she doesn’t see Leonard as the Phantom. In the beginning at least, he’s her Raoul. If I had to guess, I’d say Reginald Hargreeves is the Phantom in Vanya’s self-narrative (says he’ll train her but wants to manipulate her and keep her locked away for himself, strict teacher who doesn’t really care about her well being, wearing a mask to appear more normal/human... she wouldn’t exactly be wrong). Leonard, on the other hand, is Vanya’s supporter. He validates her, and believes in her, and taker her side when Carlotta and the opera house owners (er, the rest of the Hargreeves children) gang up on her and conspire to keep her out. 

This is all building to, of course, the final confrontation. The Phantom says Christine has to pick one or the other. When Allison comes to talk to Vanya, Vanya feels as if she’s been given an ultimatum and lashes out.

And that’s where everything (including this parallel) starts to crumble. 

(I honestly don’t know a lot about the other characters and how they fit in. I suppose we could have Five = Raoul if we ignore romance plot and focus on the childhood friend that hasn’t been seen in a while angle? And maybe also Pogo = Madame Giry. Vanya doesn’t really have any friends to be Meg.) 

Part Four: It’s All About the Moon

So that is kind of the gist of The Phantom of the Opera as a window into Vanya’s self-narrative theory, but there are a couple of other loosely related ideas I thought I might as well bring up since this thing is already ridiculously long. 

Remember how I mentioned the chandelier is like, THE scene from The Phantom of the Opera back in part one, and said it’d be relevant later? Bringing that back now, because I’m going to pull a Luther and connect everything to the moon. 

So, to get the obvious out of the way, the moon exploding and the chandelier coming crashing to the stage are similar because something falls, breaks into a bunch of pieces, destroys a bunch of stuff, and creates a powerful and memorable image to close off before an act/season break (the next installment of which begins with a time jump). 

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that The Phantom of the Opera is told out of order. The opening scene shows a grown up Raoul at an auction for the items left behind after the opera house closes, and it switches to the past as the remains of the chandelier rise upwards to the ceiling, Phantom’s theme swelling (it’s a really cool moment, tbh). Following the prologue of The Umbrella Academy, we switch to the present with two images: Vanya alone on the stage, and then Luther alone on the moon. Which has a kind of symmetry that might mean nothing, but is still kind of cool. 

(Also the item that Raoul buys from the auction is a music box with a monkey crashing symbols on top of it. Which might mean nothing.) 

Part Five: How is she STILL talking about this? (AKA Conclusion)

To be honest, this is more a very tangled “things I noticed and thought were interesting” discussion than a formal essay with any clear thesis. While there is a chance that this was all coincidental and I’ve gone full Pepe Sylvia, the music selection in The Umbrella Academy is one of the things that they seem to be really deliberate about. 

I would love to chat with anyone about this theory, so feel free to reach out in the notes or message me! My inbox is always open. Much love, and thank you for reading, if you got this far! ❤️

[silverducks]

Game of Thrones - Jaime Lannister

A rambling character study of Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones.

Part 1a – Jaime’s Character Arc

This post is going to look at my thoughts on exactly how I see Jaime’s character arc in Game of Thrones, based on just the show. But it’s also to set up my future posts where I explain why I find it so darn hard to understand why he had the ending they gave him. At least beside the obvious - because the writers wanted to.

Yeah I know; I’m late to the GoT train wreck of a final series. But I have a lot of thoughts and hence why I’m here typing away.

(And this is where I start to really go all English Lit exam analysis on you, so a warning for anyone who actually might be reading this post, LOL!)

My Intro to this series of posts btw, is here.

So, spoilers be below.

Ok, so to help explain why Jaime’s ending makes no sense, I firstly need to explain what exactly his character arc is in the show, or at least how I perceive it. As mentioned in a previous post on honour vs loyalty, for Jaime I see his character arc being about two, interconnected things – redemption and identity.

In series 1 and 2, he’s not a nice character – he’s a self-righteous, proud, full of himself, snob. He’s arrogant and cocky and says pretty cruel, snide things to characters we do like. And as we see him through the PoV of characters like *Mr Honourable Eddard Stark, Jaime is pretty despicable to say the least. And that is before we even get started on the whole pushing a boy out of a window because he caught Jaime having sex with his own twin sister. Oh and just as an FYI, Jaime is also called the Kingslayer because he killed the King he was sworn to protect. So yeah, most people watching the show don’t like him at the start, and neither do most of the other show characters we do like.

And from a story telling perspective, Jaime’s character can either get worse, better or stay the same as the show goes on. And in this story, he gets better, with a few slip ups along the way, and it’s fascinating and glorious!!

Like, I can think of nothing that even comes close to the amazing way Jaime Lannister’s character develops in Game of Thrones and how we as a viewer change in our perception of him.

But that only makes his ending so much more frustrating and disappointing…

Before I start rambling away though, just as a point to note; I’m using terms like good and better person and right and wrong quite loosely here. Obviously the world, even in a fictional world, isn’t all that simple. As that would be a whole other massive thematic and philosophical thesis, and it’s not really that relevant, just take the “general” meaning of the ideas, but with the understanding I know it’s a bit more complicated. Where I think it does become more relevant, I’ll expand on the ideas in that particular context. If I sound a bit flippant at times, it’s because of the whole black vs white vs grey, and how there are “rules” in storytelling that wouldn’t necessary apply to our own, real life reality. There are things that we need to take into account when we analyse characters in stories vs actual, real people. And on a side note, this is one of my favourite things about Game of Thrones, the complexity and moral ambiguity of both its characters and its story themes. But yeah, that’s a whole thesis in its own right.)

Redemption Arc

So, redemption. In order for us to start to like this character, and see him as a good guy, he has to go through a redemption arc. Like pretty much rule number 1 of storytelling. That means we have to watch him and believe in him becoming a better person. Conversations like the whole oath vs oath issue, or his chat with his father about his nicknames in series 1 makes us take notice of a character, maybe even be more invested in a character and their shades of grey, but it’s not really redemption. And considering how far in debt he is in the good vs bad guy department, he has a lot of work to do.

And my goodness, he does it. Like, I mean, this guys’ redemption arc is astonishing! He goes through so much, rethinks and challenges everything he once thought/knew about himself and his world, faces all his past wrongs and bad character traits and becomes not even a better person, but a hero! He goes from a bad villain who kills kings and pushes kids from windows, to becoming one of the main heroes we’re rooting for by the end of the story.

(A quick disclaimer here, like I’m not saying Jaime is ever, or ever will be perfect, heck, he’s human and this is Game of Thrones and Jaime’s more messed up than most. But when you think back from where he started and where he’s been, it sure is impressive – if we ignore his actual ending that is, LOL!)

And his glorious redemption arc all pretty much starts around the time he starts his fun road trip with Brienne in series 3.

So, just to give a few of his finer redemption points (and just remember his series 1 and 2 actions and our opinion of him in contrast):

He stops Brienne from being raped and gets his hand cut off for the trouble (Ouch! But suffering, especially from doing something good, gives lots of redemption points.)

He risks his life to save Brienne from being mauled to death by a bear. Like, he’s recently lost his sword fighting hand and has no weapon, but he jumps in the bear pit anyway and puts himself between the bear and Brienne. He then helps Brienne out of the bear pit first and then only just makes it out alive himself. Oh and if that wasn’t enough, he basically tells the bad guys that he’s leaving with Brienne, or they will have to kill him. Like he says this to the guy who not so long ago chopped his hand off. (Just think on that one a minute ok.)

He keeps to his promise/oath to Catelyn Stark and continues to help her daughters by giving Brienne a priceless sword and some stunning armour so she can find and help them. (This also helps Brienne, because he knows she’s not safe in Kings Landing, and gives her a purpose, because he knows that’s what she needs.)

Firstly offers to sacrifice his own life needs and goals and those vows he’s now starting to hold more dear to save his brother. When said brother then screws up that opportunity, Jaime then also helps said brother escape from being killed, going against his sister and father, who want his brother dead. (Yeah, the Lannisters are an interesting family… And you wonder why Jaime is a little messed up?)

Takes RiverRun without any bloodshed. (Like pulls off the perfect bluff in GoT siege history so that he can make sure his army succeeds, but no one is killed. (I don’t count the Blackfish, who chose to fight to the death rather than escape/get taken prisoner.)

Joins the fight for the battle against the dead, even if it also means renouncing his entire house and lineage and putting himself at the mercy and judgement of pretty much all his enemies and all he has wronged. (One of which has a habit of roasting her enemies alive with Dragon fire)

Oh and also risks his life in above mentioned battle against the dead.

A pretty impressive list imho, lots of redemption points there and that’s not even including everything else he does. Following the general storytelling themes of forgiveness and redemption, Jaime basically ticks all the boxes by all the good deeds he’s now done. And that’s one of the major reasons why we as viewers now love him so much as a character.

But that’s not all, of course. As we discover also in series 3 (a pretty important series for our Jaime), it’s not even just about him doing good things, but we realise as an audience we’ve (intentionally by the show) completely misunderstood him! Yes, he did kill the King he was sworn to protect, but only because said King was mad and was about to blow up the entire capital city where hundreds of thousands of innocent people live. And not only did he do this incredible honourable thing, but because it did go against his vow as a Kings Guard, he’s ever since been derided as the Kingslayer, Oathbreaker, Man without honour. A horrible set of nicknames that he’s borne, because he doesn’t think people would care or understand anyway. (Of course, I want to add in here that it’s partly the negative trait of pride too, thinking himself as the Lannister Lion, above having to explain himself to the sheep.)

Anyway, all this has worn him down a lot over the years and it’s messed him up good and proper. It kinda makes your own initial dislike of Jaime through *Mr Honourable Eddard Stark’s eyes seem a little unfair. Especially when the guy was barely more than a kid at the time (16 or 17 I think). And his defence mechanism to deal with this is one of the reason’s he is so cocky and arrogant – he uses his dry, often cruel humour, to mask that he does actually still care. In fact, it’s worked so well, I think at the start of the show, Jaime believes it himself; that he is a horrible, hateful person. But he did have that honour inside of him once; he did care and try to do what was right. And when you think back to his scenes in series 1 and 2, they take on new meaning now. He’s no longer such an evil arrogant, cocky knight we all pretty much immediately hated.

And as this revelation happens around the same time as he starts doing all those good deeds, it all helps work together to make us re-evaluate Jaime and grow to love him and become invested in his redemption arc even more.

(*I feel the need to add a disclaimer here, I do like Ned Stark a lot as a character. But it is interesting that as the show goes on, he almost does the opposite to Jaime – we see he actually isn’t always as good as we thought, that perhaps honour tripped into bitterness and prejudice a few times. That perhaps Ned, as much as we like him, is less full white and more speckled in shades of grey after all...(which makes him a more interesting and nuanced character imho, so rather than undermine him, it makes him more human.))

And when I rethink Jaime’s scene with Robb Stark when he’s captured, where he gives Robb the choice of ending the war if Robb can beat him in single combat, well, it adds even more depth to his character. Of course, Jaime knew he would likely win, as did Robb, so Robb refused. And as a viewer who was all Stark=Good, Lannister=Evil (except Tyrion) at the time, I was glad Robb wasn’t stupid or arrogant enough, like the Kingslayer Mr Jaime Lannister, to fall for that.

But then I remember the parallel in series 6, when Jon Snow (Stark=Good) gives exactly the same choice to Ramsay Bolton (Bolton=Spawn of Satan). Ramsay can either fight Jon in single combat, or they can all send their troops to die in their war. And as a viewer now, NOW! I think Ramsay is weak and awful for not agreeing (because he knows he can’t win too) and so sending all these soldiers to an early grave. Which is like 100% opposite for pretty much the same scenario of its series 2 counterpart. Of course, we HATE Ramsay and he has no, I mean literary NO! redeeming qualities, unlike Jaime, who we never, ever hated in the same way. But it does make you think about the whole idea of perception as well as actual deeds here. And that actually Jaime, you could argue, was doing the honourable thing by asking Robb for single combat, to spare the lives of both of their armies… I mean, obviously he wants to win the war, but maybe, he also wanted to spare as many lives as he could, too – like Jon in the series 6 equivalent. Maybe not so arrogant a request from our Jaime after all…

And another point to add in here, which further adds up to Jaime’s redemption arc, is Lady Brienne of Tarth. Yes, I’ve saved her to last for a reason, as she is, imho, THE catalyst for this amazing change we see in Jaime. If you’ll notice, a lot of Jaime’s good deeds involve Brienne and start happening around the time the two characters meet. And that very fact further proves that Jaime was and can be a better person.

He does not like her at first and she’s not quite your typical maiden. Not only is she a “beast” (to quote Jaime), but she’s a fighter, full of honour, self-sacrifice and steadfast in her purpose, and more than a match for him. Oh and she’s also his captor, dragging him to Kings Landing with a rope around his hands so they can trade him for the Stark girls.

So yeah, not the most cordial of first meetings. He pokes fun at her, trying to get her to snap, to prove she’s not as good as she seems. But she doesn’t, because she is that person, she is true to herself and not pretending. Unlike so many people Jaime knows, she is genuine.  

And he’s impressed by her skill and courage as a fighter as well. She is able to best him in the sword fight (granted when his hands are tied and he’s been sat in a cage for over a year, but he is like renowned for being one of the best sword fighters in the entire realm). Also when she fought the men who had murdered the women they found hung along the road – both as justice and to give the murdered woman a proper burial. She isn’t all talk, she can, and does fight. I bet Jaime wasn’t expecting that! And as sword fights are his thing, what he pretty much defines himself by and is most proud of, that’s a pretty big for tick from Jaime for Brienne right there.

Basically, she is a) an honourable person b) sticks to her oaths c) also able to fight (and therefore protect people) and d) refuses to let him get the better of her. The perfect, chivalrous embodiment of a brave, honourable Knight. A true Knight in all but name, whilst Jaime is now a Knight in nothing but name.

Now, I’ll discuss this more in the identity arc bit, but basically all this challenges Jaime, makes him rethink his own bitter images of himself and his world. She reminds him of his younger self, when he wanted to be that honourable Knight. And seeing this reflection of his younger, naïve and less world weary version of himself in Brienne, it helps to trigger this change in Jaime. It makes him remember who he once was, what he once stood for and believed in; that ideal that Jaime once believed is actually possible - of the brave, worthy Knight people sing songs about. And it started to make him want to be that person again. And this in turn, makes him want to start to do the right thing, to start to put honour first, which paves the way for his redemption arc very nicely.

I won’t talk too much more about Brienne here, because I think her relationship with and influence on Jaime deserves its own post. But I do think it is the specific personality of Brienne, together with the very fact that she is an ugly, “beast” of a woman, that triggers Jaime’s arc in just the right way and enables it to be so profound.

One last note on his redemption – I’ve said before it was partly his Lannister Lion pride that caused some of his suffering in relation to his nicknames. And indeed part of his arrogance is because he does think he’s better than everyone else (although not to the extent we first thought). He is the Lannister’s golden son after all and the Lannisters are basically the most powerful and wealthiest House in Westeros. It is a bad trait, yeah. But even this, even this! gets sorted out in series 8. From my list of redemption points, see the second to last point above – he faces judgement. Like a guy who had too much pride to admit he actually killed a King to help save hundreds of thousands of lives, actually, of his own volition, faces his enemies to be judged and to atone for what he has done wrong. Yeah, he also offers excuses at said trail, but if I’m honest, they do sound quite genuine to me. Is it any worse than what your typical soldier would do in a time of war? Fight in a battle and kill people? Try to capture the person (Ned) who’s wife captured your brother to avert a war? And we already know now he was justified in his killing of the mad King.

So, all in all, with this new insight into Jaime’s character, especially also seeing him through the increasingly positive eyes of Brienne (more on that later), who we know really is good and honourable, we have both a better understanding of his past actions, see his ongoing internal struggles and conflicts as he strives to do what is right and along with all his good deeds as the show goes on, we see him slowly (with lots of unfortunate set backs as well) become a better person. So come series 8, his redemption arc up to THAT scene, is glorious and basically complete.

And then there’s his identity arc. The other side of his character development, which is just as important for me and very much interconnected with his redemption.

(Like, seriously, there’s so much going on with this character that I could write essays, no a whole thesis I bet! I seriously can’t wait until I get to read him and Brienne’s chapters in the books and discover even more sides and shades to this character.)

But I’ve rambled on for far longer than I intended on his redemption arc, so I’ll save his identity arc for another day. (And hopefully it won’t be as long). Then we can get into the fun stuff like that hand he lost, that famous bath scene and his, how to put this, interesting relationship with his sister…

#If you were brave enough to get this far #Thanks for reading #And hope this made sense #Just my rambling thoughts #Yeah, I have a lot