#tldr: he is the worst

[violentdelighstviolentends]

(  Charlie Vickers  .  Cis Male.  He/Him  . 25 )  Hans  from  Frozen  has found  themselves  trapped in  grimsby.  though here  they  go by  Hadley  Vinter .   they  reside in  Sumner Heights,  and have  been  passing time  working  as a  real estate agent.  according to  the  people around  town,  they're often  seen VISITING  THE LAKE and  they've  also mentioned  that  they're just  as   remorseless & cruel,  but as   intelligent & ambitious as ever.   +  living in the shadows, a dangerous and destructive place, the taste of blood,   . always  seems  to remind  people  of them.  i  wonder how  well  they'll do  around  here.

Before the Curse

The thirteenth son of a king, no one really cared that much about someone so unlikely to ever become king. His older brothers’ behaviour ranged from bullying to pure abuse, all of which was encouraged by his father who didn’t have much time for weakness. In many ways he was grateful for it, it just made him stronger. He had no real love for his family, or really for anything. It just led him to realise that those with power were untouchable and it was something he wanted. If it meant putting up with things to get what he wanted in the end, he’d do it. The ends would always justify the means.

From a young age he learnt to do his research. If he was going to have a chance of a throne, it was going to have to be one that he took for himself. Then when the opportunities came up, he took them, representing his home always looking for a way in. Perhaps it would have all worked, if not for magic. Something he realised he despised. His parents did what was expected, punishing him for the crimes he’d committed. But they also realised that unlike the rest of their children, there was something far darker living in their youngest son. As rumours of the curse started, they opted to hide him away, knowing full well if he saw it as a way to get power, he’d take it.

After the Curse

Then suddenly his mind was full of memories he didn’t remember having, in a town he didn’t remember arriving at. Magic again, something that was truly starting to get irritant. Hadley had also been part of a big family, but they had since all drifted apart. Only here it seemed money equalled power, and he had worked hard to get a good job, as well as living frugally to save it. Maybe not someone Hans ever wanted to be, but it was a far better position than he had been in before. He supposed he could appreciate the irony of it all, he’d been trying to find somewhere he could rule and now he was paid to help others find their homes. Funny though, the things people said when they were house hunting. And he has been noting everything about everyone.

But if there was one thing he had learnt, it is how to mirror people. And right now he couldn’t quite decide what the best option to be was. The heroes really are just a little too preachy for his liking, but as long as he is charming towards them, they seem to like it. For now, he is keeping his cards close to his chest, and really it’s hardly his own fault if the heroes believe that he is on their side.

Pintrest

Spotify

[starry-bi-sky]

Who is the more well-adjusted twin; Damian, or Danyal? Why, it's Damian, of course!

And I have an explanation for this! But first I wanna preface this that this is just me like, rambling about this thought I have and it's not an attack on the trope as a whole. I love the Danyal Al Ghul au which is why i'm so deeply passionate about it, because I think it has a lot of potential to be explored. It's no secret that I've mentioned before that I think Danny's psychological development tends to get overlooked and underutilized in DAG aus, and the impact that growing up in an assassin league often goes ignored. This is just me further expanding on that.

Now lets set the stage! This is specifically for Danny who is adopted by the Fentons later down in life. Lets go twin au. At 10 years old, Damian goes to the Wayne Family, Danny is adopted by the Fentons (regardless of their affiliation with the League). By 14 years old, who ends up the better adjusted, more socially aware, spiritually in-tune with themselves, sibling? Why, Damian is! Why is that?

Because he has the actual support he needs compared to Danny. And I'm not talking about good or bad parents Fentons, because either way my opinion doesn't change. Damian would end up the better off twin, because, frankly, his family knows his background. They know he grew up in the League, they know what the League's teachings are, and they know he's a born and raised assassin. Knowing this, they can then help tackle and dismantle the teachings and lessons he has been given and ingrained into by the League. They may be a dysfunctional family, but they're functional enough to at least actively help deprogram all of the League's teachings that have been ingrained in Damian throughout his childhood.

Can't say the same for Danny.

Lets say Fentons here don't know his background -- and even if they do, the results may just stay the same if they play their cards wrong, -- Danny's now just been thrown into the deep end of a pool and is essentially being told sink or swim. Regardless of how he got there -- undercover, faked death, etc -- he has no proper support. He knows the League is meant to be secret, he's not gonna speak on it for various reasons. Whether it be some still lingering loyalty, fear of harm, or whatever. Whatever the reason is, he does not have a proper support system in the Fentons, no matter how nice they are. They can only tackle the surface level stuff and whatever Danny allows them to see -- if Danny ever lets them see it at all. For what do assassins do when they don't want to be caught? They hide. Sometimes in plain sight.

"But Jazz--" Jazz is a child. She is 2 years older than Danyal and no better at giving him a proper support system than the two adult Fenton parents, even with parentification. We don't know when she got into psychology or how long she'd been studying it by the time Danny's 14. We just know she's really into it. Even then, Jazz is not a licensed or reliable therapist, or even an experienced or implied good therapist, and should not be used as one either. It's a disservice to her character to reduce her down to 'supporting female emotional crutch'. Besides, therapy only works on people who want to get better. Danny, who'd be hiding who he really is, has very little incentive to want to, or to even think something is wrong with his way of thinking, even with exposure to the outside world.

When people's beliefs are outright challenged, they tend to double down on them, and Jazz canonically has a habit of psychoanalyzing her family and declaring what she thinks is the problem -- regardless of whether or not she's right about it. Jazz would get into psychology, try and psychoanalyze Danny, and all it would do is cause him to clam up, shut into himself further, and throw up even more walls so that she can't figure out that he has been lying this whole time. It would do more harm than good, and would actively hinder any progress he'd make in trying to open up to them. Roads and good intentions and all that.

That being said, I think Danny's development and dismantling of the League's teachings would be slower than Damian's. Much slower. Because he would be the one having to pick apart everything and figure out what is right, what is wrong, what he wants to keep, and what he wants to toss. Everything he unlearns would be stuff he has to unlearn himself. If he even gets to that point at all -- depending on his experiences, he very well could not change at all, or change very little. The League acts as a purge for humanity, meant to reign in their hubris and retain balance, they just also happen to be assassins for hire. Danny's time spent in Amity Park could as well strengthen his belief in their teachings just as much as it could weaken it, especially if it goes as canon and he gets bullied.

Regardless, being tossed to a civilian family as someone who is very much not a civilian, without any support, would be actively detrimental to Danny's overall mental health and development. Especially to strangers like the Fentons. Damian was closed off and standoffish even with blood family, and it took him time to open up to them -- Danny, with the Fentons, would be even more so. He doesn't know them, he doesn't trust them, he has no rhyme or reason to open up to them, and since the Fentons don't actually know him, they can't help him the way he needs. Once "Danny Fenton" is made, he has even less reason to open up. So long as Danyal allows it, they will only ever know Danny, and they'll never know Danyal.

TL:DR the Fentons aren't the better family option just because they're civilians, and actually that makes them the worser option between the two because they can't give Danny the proper support he needs. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

[fumifooms]

What if we were both magic prodigies and it otherized us in different ways and we devoted ourselves to protecting a family member who has general other goals & priorities. What if we both did self-sacrifical devotion in opposite ways.

What if we were dark mirrors of each other and where I've grown overcontrolling you've grown complacent. What if, bought as a servant into a pretty loving home, ownership and control is what love looks like to me, and to you neglected and lonely growing up, love is gratefully taking any scraps of it you’re lent.

By belonging to someone, even if she comes back injured or fails at finding Delgal, she feels like she belongs and is cherished, by owning someone he feels safe in them not leaving him.

She’s what’s tethering him do you see… And he’s the only thing giving her direction and purpose in her state. She needs a compass and he needs a support.

They’re both so out of it 😭 It’s the weirdly intense and unearned mutual trust and reliance on each other?? They’re each other’s weird little comfort codependent teddy bear. Or at least they were headed towards that before SHE DIED THEN HE DIED THEN THEY BOTH FORGOT ABOUT EACH OTHER AND NEVER MET EVER AGAIN. Though she’s also the guard attack hound keeping him safe… And vice versa he heals her and can rewrite her very being with just one wave of his hand. They’re both so so mentally and physically vulnerable both but they cling onto each other. They can’t perceive things accurately but despite it all someway somehow they stumble into something closer to resembling companionship just before they both die. Falin is just that kind and Thistle is just that lonely. Overworked. We both haven’t lived for ourselves in a very long time, haven’t we.

They both have a similar devotion to the people they love but again the difference is that Thistle starts overtsepping while Falin is self-effacing. The other difference between them is that people care about Falin <3 People have given up on Thistle long ago, and he has given people reasons to, while people refuse to give up on Falin. Yaad has a mini arc about it dw about it it’s ok he’s not all alone in the end 😭😭 He reached out for Marcille’s hand but they already all wanted to help him, they just had to be given the chance to, Yaad just had to be given the chance to, it’s okay I’m okay

Hey what if we learned to get in touch with our own identity and the world around us and living in the present again through being in the worst codependent situationship ever.

Falin and Thistle sitting in a tree, sucking on flowers together because they’re h-u-n-g-r-y 💕💕💕

I bet he’s only ever thought of flowers as useless ornaments. Weak weeds. But she shows him they’re tasty and useful and good and pretty in their own right too and deserve existing without proving their worth and waaa <33 Thistles…... Did you know thistles taste sweet if you remove the thorns and eat them?

"Even as a chimera, her kind nature remains" you can’t suppress her in the way that matters. You can’t soothe him in the way that matters. It’s doomed. You’re doomed. It’s all doomed. Save me.

[vashtijoy]

"why not join me instead?" akechi's "invitation" in conf 7

People come and go on whether this question of Akechi's is genuine or not. Opinions run the gamut from "I hate him for trying to take you away from your friends" to "Akechi wants Joker to be his accomplice".

Myself, I don't think Akechi means this as a serious question, for a number of reasons. I think this question is rhetorical.

Quick summary:

Conf 7 illustrates the similarity between Joker and Akechi, and that they're both committed to the showdown between them;

Rather than being an invitation, Akechi's question again illustrates that parallel—that neither of them will give up the things that matter to them to join the other, as Joker has asked him to do;

"I'll think about it" does not count towards the third awakening—and I can prove it. Rather, Akechi can't conceive that Joker would ever abandon his friends, and uses it as an outrageous example of something Joker would never do;

Joker's loyalty not only to his principles but to his friends is something Akechi values so much that he won't let Joker sacrifice it;

Akechi is not so much offering Joker a way out in conf 7 (there is no way out) as he's confirming for his own sake that Joker is still in the game. Is this still a battle between rivals, or is it an execution?

Let's take a look.

what is akechi really asking?

[long post is long]

Look at this line. Look at the question he's posing:

Akechi いっそ君がこっちに来るってのは?⋯今の仲間を捨ててさ。 isso kimi ga kocchi ni kuru tte no wa?... ima no nakama o sutete sa Why not join me instead...? All you'd have to do is abandon the teammates you have now.

It's very easy to focus on the first half of this question and miss the second. But that second half is the important part, the sting in the tail. The Japanese is a great example of wa building suspense: "Instead, what if you come over to my side, (AND THEN WHAT, AKECHI???????)"

The sentence is left hanging, with the weight of it unspoken (since wa emphasises what comes after it); Akechi is obviously not done speaking. And indeed, when he continues, it's a doozy:

"though, of course, you'd have to dump the friends you have now." (Yes, I think "friends" is often a much better translation of nakama than "teammates", fight me; it's even often translated as "friend" in P5 itself, or indeed, awkwardly, as "teammates and friends".)

Akechi is using the same verb, suteru, that you use for tossing something in the trash; the parallel meaning, "ending a relationship", exists in Japanese too.

Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, everything you've all gone through together and everything you've been—Akechi is suggesting you toss them aside like garbage. For him.

Now, I think part of Akechi would very much like Joker to do that. But he also knows better than to expect it. Because he knows Joker so much better than that.

Akechi has seen firsthand how loyal Joker is to his friends—remember on 1/2 how he says he investigated them all? He's seen some of the things Joker will do for them. He expects that blind faith to lead Joker to his death, much as Yaldabaoth does. But he also respects it.

This boy who's never had a friend, who's convinced himself the whole idea is stupid, is still drawn to the loyalty he sees in Joker. Even as he's preparing his own ultimate betrayal, Akechi recognises Joker's commitment to others. He understands treachery is bad, even though he himself is a traitor—just as he understands that murder is bad, and that doesn't stop him, either.

This question of whether or not Joker will betray his friends (and Akechi specifically) comes back on 2/2, of course—and in force.

so why does he ask

Akechi is not proposing that the two of them run off together. He's not asking to see what Joker will say. He doesn't impulsively make the invitation, and then run away when Joker says yes. He is, in fact, not even asking. He poses the idea of Joker abandoning all his friends as a counterexample. It's supposed to be something Joker would never consider, something he will find morally repugnant.

Which is why, if Joker says yes, Akechi is shocked, and essentially tells Joker not to make such stupid spur-of-the-moment decisions. Akechi is making a rhetorical point about what Joker is asking of him.

Remember Joker's statement that leads into Akechi's question:

Yeah. Joker either suggests that Akechi should give up everything he's doing and everything he believes in (even as Akechi confabulates about what those things really are), or he suggests, with the top option, that he's already done it.

And in return, Akechi says that Joker should join him... and throw away his friends and everything he's working for and everything he believes in, of course.

It's the second response to his question, where Joker turns him down flat, that makes it most obvious that this was what Akechi meant:

Joker それは無理だ sore wa muri da I'm not doing that. No way in hell. Akechi だろうね。 darou ne I thought as much. Akechi 分かるだろ、誰だって今の立場を簡単に捨てられやしないんだよ wakaru daro, dare datte ima no tachiba o kantan ni suterare yashinai n da yo I'm sure you understand. We all have our parts to play, and we can't simply leave those behind.

See what he's saying? ima no tachiba o kantan ni suterare yashinai—"we absolutely must not lightly set aside the positions we hold now".

Incidentally, yes, that's that same verb suteru that he used before, for casting aside or throwing away. Akechi is drawing a parallel between Joker's friends and his own goals—between the things each of them holds most dear, which neither of them will sacrifice, even to save the other. (Assuming you think Akechi would even be down to save Joker—but I do think conf 7 suggests that at this point, he might not be opposed to the possibility. It's just that it doesn't exist.)

the phone call

This parallel returns in the phone call afterwards, if you again tell him that you're rivals:

It's a little hard to tell from the localisation what Akechi is getting at, so let's take a close look:

Akechi 僕らにはお互い譲れないものがあって、そのためにも負けられない。 bokura ni wa otagai yuzurenai mono ga atte, sono tame ni mo makerarenai [lit. for both of us, these are things we cannot compromise on, and because of those things we cannot suffer losing.] Neither of us can afford to lose, because we fight in service of our principles. It's the same for both of us. Neither of us can afford to lose, because of these principles we won't concede. Akechi ⋯だからこそ、もしも君が自分を曲げたりしたら絶対に赦さないよ。 ... dakara koso, moshi mo kimi ga jibun o megetari shitara zettai ni yurusanai yo [lit. that's exactly why, if you were to warp yourself [that way], I would absolutely never let such a sin (t/n: note the kanji) pass.] And that is precisely why... I cannot allow you to change. ... And that's precisely why, if you betrayed yourself that way... I couldn't allow it. Akechi だって、僕が負けたくないのは『君』なんだから。 datte, boku ga maketakunai no wa "kimi" nan da kara [lit. it's you as you are now who I do not want to lose to.] As you are now, as you think now... I cannot allow you to win over me. The person you are now, with those principles, and that determination—that's the one I won't ever allow to beat me.

Here's my attempt at a translation again, so you can see it all together:

Akechi: It's the same for both of us. Neither of us can afford to lose, because of these things we won't concede. Akechi: ...And that's precisely why, if you betrayed yourself that way... I couldn't allow it. Akechi: The person you are now, with those principles, and that determination—that's the one I won't ever allow to beat me.

It turns out that this phone conversation, that was originally quite mystical-sounding and hard to follow (what were you trying to say, Akechi?) is quite straightforward. It ties into to his original question. "Will I join you, Joker? Well, what if you join me instead? Just throw away all your little friends for my sake? Of course you won't—because we're the same. Both of us have things we can't give up, no matter what—and if you tried to do that, I wouldn't let you, because I value you as you are...."

This parallel between the two of them is what conf 7 is about, from the text message that opens it to the phone call that concludes it:

It's the same thing again: neither of you can afford to lose, because you're fighting for your principles. The billiard table is the stage for this wider discussion.

The billiard scene, of course, is interesting for another reason—Akechi is giving Joker a chance to back out; he's testing his commitment, and perhaps hinting that he never intended to be quite where he is, either. He states at the outset that he's being indirect, that what he's saying is a metaphor—and then closes that metaphor with a very direct question: "Do you still intend to play this game?"

Akechi それでも君は、このゲームを降りる気はないの? sore demo kimi wa, kono geemu o oriru ki wa nai no? Even then... do you still intend to play this game? But despite all of that, you still won't fold, will you?

The Japanese is even more specific: Akechi asks Joker if he intends to fold—not whether he still wants to play, but whether he means to give up entirely! "This can't be what you expected, so how about it? Will you just give up? Does this mean as much to you as it does to me? Is this a game we both choose to play, or are you just a victim?"

How much of this is Akechi blowing smoke up his own ass?—casting the fact that he's about to murder the boy in front of him in a glowing, romantic light? Pretty much all of it, I'd say. He's dreamed of having a rival, someone to compete with who challenges him, but what he's got is quite a bit more than that.

Again, the rival imagery is what allows Akechi not only to accept this close relationship, but to frame it as a life-or-death contest that only one of them can win. It confirms to him that what Lavenza describes as "a truly unfair game" is actually fair. It's about making Joker's murder seem as much Joker's fault as his own.

but what happens if you say yes?

Despite all of this, you can choose to have Joker consider Akechi's "offer"—to discard Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba and Haru like trash, and assist Akechi instead. It's tempting, I know.

I don't personally get the impression that Akechi likes this response, for a number of reasons. None of the three responses to his offer score confidant points, but there's something else in play: only one of these responses unlocks his third awakening.

See the F code highlighted in yellow? Only one of these three responses has it. "You're my rival" counts towards the third awakening. Rejecting him, with "I'm not doing that", does not—but more to the point, offering to be with him, with "I'll think about it", also does not!

The issue is confused because a number of us have taken option 1 (or indeed option 2, like me) and still got the third awakening on 2/2. It seems like you need some of the flagged responses, not all of them. But it remains the case that "I'll think about it" does not make Akechi more likely to have his third awakening.

What happens if you take this option?

Joker 考えておく kangaete oku I'll think about it. Akechi へえ、考えてはくれ��んだ? hee, kangaete wa kureru n da? Oh? So you'll think about it, at least? What? You mean you'll consider it? Akechi ⋯でも、そういうその場限りの情はやめた方がいい。 ...demo, sou iu sono ba kagiri no jou wa yameta hou ga ii ...But I'd advise you don't say these things without their due consideration. ... Still, it would be better if you didn't trust such fleeting sentiments. Akechi 出来もしない約束はするものじゃないよ。 deki mo shinai yakusoku wa suru mono ja nai yo You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep, anyway. Don't be the sort who promises the earth and walks away.

A few grammar points:

んだ n da on a question demands an explanation; Akechi's question could almost be rendered "Why on earth would you need/want to think about it?"

そういうその場限りの情 sou iu sono ba kagiri no jou—"sentiments that only matter here and now". Essentially, "sentiments that won't last"—or that are makeshift or ad hoc; Joker is making a stupid spur-of-the-moment decision.

yes, 出来もしない約束 deki mo shinai yakusoku translates idiomatically as "promising the earth". The point is not that Joker should not promise; the point is that he shouldn't be the sort of person who promises so much—and then doesn't follow through.

Again, this confidant is all about Akechi's expectations for Joker. It's about the weird belief he has in him, like the belief he has in Shido—that Joker has principles and friends and will stand by them, that those things are important and matter, even if they're diametrically opposed to Akechi's principles and the things he wants.

The fact that they foil each other in this way is a large part of what makes Joker such a worthy opponent for Akechi. So if Joker turns around and says, sure, Akechi, I'll dump all my friends so we can make out?

Akechi does not like that. He thinks better of him!—he loses respect if Joker offers this. Even if that little line about "promising the earth" suggests that, actually, yeah, he would quite like for the two of them to run away together—if only they lived in a world where it was possible.

what about "you're my rival"?

I've discussed this line before, but let's go into it for completeness.

Joker 明智は好敵手だ akechi wa koutekishu da You're my rival. Nah, you're my worthy opponent.

Do you see that Joker names Akechi there? He doesn't just say, "we're worthy opponents", or even "you're my worthy opponent", koutekishu da yo.

No, he picks Akechi out by name, and then tells him exactly what they are to each other. Because wa builds suspense. Akechi wa... (what?! what is he?!) koutekishu da. "I can't run away with you, because I need you to be this to me instead".

And this is the line with the F-code. This is the line that, if you choose it, will build towards Akechi's third awakening—which is centred on his trust in Joker, on the fact that Joker is worthy of that trust.

And how does Akechi respond?

He's astonished. He did not expect this at all, look:

On the left, the top screenshot where he's waiting for your answer; in the centre, the moment of shock, where he's pulled away and dropped his hand and his eyes are wide; on the right, a comparative overlay just to demonstrate that he pulled back.

smiles that aren't smiles

I have a half-assed theory that you can tell when Akechi is really smiling—because the model will smile with him. If you watch, for instance, Ryuji, the model's expressions match the sprite's almost exactly. But if you watch Akechi? Nah, not so much.

Here's an example. Akechi appears to smile quite often through conf 7—but if you glance away from the sprite and textbox to the model, the model is pokerfaced. Five smile sprites on the optimal route through conf 7, and not one of them—not even "you truly are fascinating"—matches the model:

But when you pick "You're my rival"? Suddenly the model's face springs to life:

It's obvious from everything else that this moment is of deep significance to Akechi. But this little detail with the smiles suggests we can confirm it.

and what does he say?

It doesn't take long for him to pull himself together:

Akechi 同意だね、僕らにはなれ合いより対等な関係こそふさわしい。 doui da ne, bokura ni wa nareai yori taitouna kankei koso fusawashii I agree. I think a relationship of equals suits us better than being co-conspirators, anyway...

This is another one that I find unclear in the localisation, so let's have at it.

nareai suggests an illicit or unduly-close union. It suggests "being in bed together" in the business sense—cosying up, colluding, conspiring. It suggests they're working together when they shouldn't be. Jisho uses the screamingly-outdated term "common-law marriage" (what we call "living together") as an example. Essentially, it suggests they're too close—or even co-dependent, in a way that corrupts them both.

In short? Akechi's "co-conspirators", nareai, means "accomplices"—what we might call "murder boyfriends".

taitouna kankei—literally, "an equal relationship"—is a set phrase, and we know what it means. It suggests a relationship where nobody is being cheated; where everyone gets out what they put in. Where the two of them compete on equal terms.

That's a very Akechi way to look at relationships. But it's also a relationship where nobody is in charge; nobody is dominant, and everyone has self-respect. Nobody is chasing after anyone or sacrificing unduly, as either would be if they joined the other. Everyone can be who they are and say what they want. Everyone can say no.

It's the sort of relationship Akechi very notably does not have with Shido. Is it the sort of relationship he has with Joker, when the two of them are hiding so much from each other and lying so much, and there's so much, like, murder going on? Nah. But as an aspiration, as a suggestion of the sort of relationship Akechi would like them to have, alongside everything else he's told us about how he sees the two of them—as similar, as equals and opposites, as bound by their principles, as destined to fight—it's almost touching.

and what does joker think?

Akechi ⋯たとえこの先、何があろうともだ。 ...tatoe kono saki, nani ga arou tomo da ...No matter what else may change. ...No matter what might come next. Akechi それだけの事を言ったんだから、逃げないでよ? sore dake no koto o itta n da kara, nigenaide yo? In any case, what you just said carries great weight. Remember what you decided, and don't run from it. All right? [lit. don't run away just because of what [I/you] said, all right?]

I'm not sure about this. It feels like it should be referring back to Akechi's last line—"don't get cold feet and run away just because I alluded ominously to whatever's coming next, okay?". I guess it could be referring to Joker's commitment, with "You're my rival"? IDK, I'm out on this one, so I'm inclined to give the localisation the benefit of the doubt.

But it doesn't matter. Because the significance of what Joker does next doesn't change:

He nods. Akechi spends the whole confidant hinting that something ominous is coming, and that the two of them are heading to an inevitable confrontation, and Joker nods.

I don't think this is really consistent with interpretations where Joker is a meek little sheep in the interrogation room. Joker might not have chosen this, he might not have wanted it, he might have by far preferred to avoid it. He'd happily back out if Akechi would just drop the whole thing and agree to act sane. But he's committed to it. He agrees to fight.

Remember, conf 7 takes place after Joker hears the murder phone call. He knows what Akechi is. He knows what he's planning. He knows the stakes—and he agrees to play, to face Akechi down.

To quote @nardaviel, that's no sheep. That's a full-on "Phantom Thieves win again, motherfucker" smirk. Joker played Akechi's game, with everything he had—and he played to win.

[nanihirunkits]

hi.

[foursaints]

evan rosier, explaining his special interests in a flat monotone as he grotesquely dissects a flobberworm by the great lake with grim scientific fervor: (hands absolutely covered in viscera) i use the circumrota charm to unspool the guts because it makes the subject suffer less. of course, i have ways of making them suffer more,

barty crouch jr, who has not been listening to a single word and is visibly trembling from the sheer effort of not just folding evan in half and throwing those ankles over his shoulders right there: (entire inner monologue has been “blonde, blonde, blonde“ for the last several hours) mmngh yeah and then what? 🤤

[blackcathjp]

harry has random (ADORABLE!) photos of a white ferret in his house, but his friends never see it when they come over. they always ask, "where's your ferret?" and harry goes, "huh? oh! i don't have one, i just like having these around. i like ferrets."

draco has random (ADORABLE!) photos of a black cat in his flat. his friends are desperate to meet this mysterious cute black cat, but where is it?? draco shrugs, says, "not mine, he just comes and goes." ok... then why do you have a photo of him on YOUR COUCH??

at draco's house party, ron notices the photos of a seemingly singular animal... reminds him of harry's odd collection... then he sees one of a white ferret chase and tackle a black cat into a cuddle and then it CLICKS. he whips around, a little drunk, shouts, "HARRY JAMES POTTER. YOU'RE DATING DRACO MALFOY..?! HE'S THE FERRET?" he points aggressively at photo. "ARE YOU THIS CAT?"

the party is silent. everyone is staring at ron, and then at drarry, who look so embarrassed. draco clears his throat. "seems like the jig is up potter." harry awkwardly nods. "yes, seems so."

[thegreatyin]

@thunder-threnodies morgan can definitely try!!!

the scoundrel REALLY doesn't take well to dream intrusions. they don't take well to any amount of messing with their mind, but. well. dreams are perhaps the thing that irritates them most of all. any amount of scoundrel dream diving would have to be quick, delicate, and most definitely behind their back- and they will notice regardless, and they will hold a grudge for the rest of their stupidly long batty life about it.

as for the actual contents of those dreams, well...

when they first achieved their ambition, the scoundrel used to dream of flower fields and starry skies. as time has gone on, this dream has. Distorted, somewhat.

the flowers have become wilder. the grass has become twisted and tangled amidst thorns and thickets. the stars have started blinking in and out of existence. ice has started creeping up along the edges of her mind, like a memory she just. can't quite get rid of.

(there's a certain city in the distance. he always tries not to look at it. he always fails.)

it's oddly peaceful, once you get past the frost and the foliage. the scoundrel usually sits at the valley's heart, surrounded by a web of dahlias and daisies. her exact dreams vary wildly, but no matter what, he always plays them out at the center, like the entire dreamscape is just a stage for that night's particular performance. there's always a chance to step away and go further into the field, if he wills it. he never seems to realize it's an option in the first place.

when her mind is kind, and quiet, she does have normal nights. simple time spent with her paramours. joyous days as a beast, hanging upside down and snacking on fruit and bugs to her heart's content. simply existing as she wills it.

but. well. most of her plays aren't that. most of her plays can only be best described as nightmares. her entire dreamscape is essentially one big fancy backdrop to that.

most often the play is a memory. a small mistake she made, a social interaction she floundered. sometimes it's a surgical appointment with her coworkers. sometimes it's an argument with someone he's never gotten over. sometimes it's performing open heart surgery on someone wearing her own face. sometimes it's a monkey and a single bronze fruit, never eaten.

sometimes it's a corpse pinning him against the ground and screaming, wailing, begging for the answer as to why he's done what he's done.

other times her dream-performance is more... esoteric. flocks of bats he can't quite recognize. a mirror he can't quite look through. a star commanding him to put a leash around his neck, which he obeys with utmost gratitude.

he tends to prefer those nights. they hit less closer to home.

for all of his power in parabola, he gets lost in his own dreams... Very Very Very Easily. it's probably part of why he's so protective over them. being seen completely enveloped in a torment nexus your own mind made up isn't exactly stellar for one's image. having her dreams exposed and sifted through is Deeply Unpleasant to the scoundrel. it means she's vulnerable. open. human.

and her mind can't imagine anything more terrifying than that.

[carnivalls]

good morning. thinking again of juve and her dog

[ramsei501st]

he got a little too silly

[suffarustuffaru]

why ottojuli would literally be the most toxic julius ship of all time (arc 8)

ok but i was talking about this recently with @deafknell and @mynameisrobiniamadumbass (a lot of the points in this analysis are due to them and also they really fed my brainrot aldsjflsjdflj so big thanks to them HAH) but julius and otto genuinely would be extremely toxic together. as of arc 8, their uglier traits have come to light, and being in each other’s presence has helped reveal that. (this analysis is also kind of building off my Other arc 8 ottojuli-related analysis here)

** im gonna analyze ottojulis relationship in CANON mainly, but i also analyze the possibility of romantic-leaning julisuba and ottosuba—either way, julisuba and ottosuba, platonic or not, are extremely important to both julius and ottos characters and how they interact with each other as well 👍

to start off—their relationships to subaru are quite literally almost the same dynamic in Very Different fonts. theyre subaru’s two closest male friends around his age, they both debuted in arc 3, got off on the wrong foot with him (julius dueling subaru vs otto pushing subaru off the wagon), but went out of their way to save him (again, julius dueling subaru to prevent him fromt being killed by other knights, otto trying to go back for subaru after pushing him off the wagon in arc 3 + otto in arc 4), and as/once they develop a friendship with subaru, its a tsundere + tsundere relationship where both sides end up bickering and teasing each other to show affection. you could even read julisuba and ottosuba as paralleling relationships—otto is the one being teased + getting flustered most of the time by subaru who is the one being teased + getting flustered most of the time by julius. and subaru brings out different sides to otto and julius too—for julius, he’s learning to gradually let go of his repression and not be so “perfect”… for otto, he’s developed a fixation on subaru, and it brings out More of his uglier traits.

subaru is someone that both julius and otto care deeply about even when subarus actions Repeatedly frustrate and even anger them. but because they care about him, they Want to be more gentle with him in their own ways. julius stays honest and tries to break the news to subaru about louis Without compromising on his own beliefs because its the awful truth that subaru needs to know (on top of trying to aid the emilia camp in vollachia in general). otto on the other hand, hides things from subaru and maneuvers events from behind the scenes for subarus sake. otto didnt plan on telling subaru something along the lines of what julius just said about louis needing to be dead, which is why otto gets pissed when julius flat out just tells the truth—subaru still needed to hear this, sooner or later, bc if he really wants to find a way to keep louis alive, he needs to be aware of the reality of the situation. but otto didnt agree with julius saying this regardless, which is likely bc otto feels julius ruined his plans on how he was going to handle the louis situation and/or otto is mad that julius made subaru upset.

so when otto and julius face each other, they’re strangers. they only know the other person as a friend of a friend (subaru), a merchant vs a knight. but unlike julius, who’s a knight through and through and yet is close to and wholeheartedly supports a merchant, otto is a merchant who’s always had a distaste for knightly ideals, and so HE’S the one who emphasizes this distance between himself and julius. this is even more interesting when you remember that julius, again, is a knight loyal to a merchant, while otto is a merchant who is loyal to a knight (subaru), so theres an interesting dichotomy going on there. but otto cant let go of his own beliefs, so he proceeds to place the same expectations that julius continues being boxed into—julius being the finest knight.

its even more important to remember that because julius’s name was erased, julius absolutely is even more of a stranger to otto. otto couldnt accompany subaru and other emilia camp members to the tower, and otto expressed his disapproval of the decision for them to even go to the tower in the first place (because he doesnt want them heading into danger again). on top of that, julius—a complete stranger—was accompanying them into the tower. ricardo entrusted anastasia to julius—a stranger—which is a decision that otto with all his paranoia could never do. and then julius comes back waltzing into vollachia and otto becomes frustrated.

julius apologizes to otto for interrupting in emilia camp affairs regarding louis, and he thinks otto is upset because he stole ottos role in the situation as internal affairs minister. but otto is really upset because he wouldnt have told subaru what julius just told subaru then about louis, despite the fact that subaru needs to learn this information (that louis will be found guilty by the world and Needs to be punished for her crimes). and julius knows that subaru needs to know this, which is why he said it. and its this misunderstanding between otto and julius that lets otto know, for certain, that julius really is like emilia and subaru. and its this realization about julius—that he walks in the light with otto’s friends—makes otto angry and frustrated and bitter enough to try and punch the wall and break his hand again.

this is also because theres a possibility that otto is jealous of julius. this post is a rarepair analysis too HAH so you could Definitely read it as otto being jealous of julius as well. because ottos anger, frustration, and bitterness towards julius mirrors arc 3 subaru’s behavior towards julius. otto and subaru were both pissed at julius for interfering as an “outsider”, and i think that, like subaru in arc 3, otto is upset at the idea of being left behind in the dust by julius in regards to subaru and emilia. julius is someone who can walk in the light with emilia and subaru, which is something otto cant do, and julius is a strong combatant thats especially useful for vollachia, which is yet another thing otto cant do, and julius agrees with otto on killing louis despite also being idealistic like emilia and subaru, which is something otto cant do. julius can have both—be with emilia and subaru while acknowledging that louis needs to die—and it angers otto, who not only needs to be needed but also is questioning his worth here in vollachia. julius throws a wrench in all of ottos issues and worsens it tenfold, Especially when you remember how similar otto can be to subaru. otto and subaru are stubborn, especially when it comes to their goals and beliefs, prone to sacrificing for the people they care about most, prone to keeping secrets, need to be needed, and question their own worth.

and also the way they get flustered when teased is Similar. theres that too. (which is yet another ottosuba vs julisuba parallel.)

but subaru was jealous of julius, so what about otto? well—otto is someone who might be prone to getting jealous. in an otto’s diary episode of breaktime season two, this happens:

(sorry about the timestamps at the bottom wkdndnd im too lazy to grab new screenshots)

so basically whats happening here is that otto hears emilia gush about subaru and tell stories about subaru to frederica, and otto feels envious listening to this. you could interpret that any way you want, but i think that the implication is that in this moment, otto is envious of emilia and subaru being so close to each other. you could also interpret it as otto being envious of emilia because HE wants to be closer with subaru, which i think is also entirely plausible because in this exact same scene, he notes:

the whole point of ALL otto’s diary episodes in breaktime season two is that otto is writing in his diary about all his experiences in arc 4, many of which involve his developing relationship with subaru. and theres no denying that by the time we get to arc 8, otto is now at LEAST a little bit fixated on subaru (ill go more into this soon). ottos now aware of julius and julius’s close relationship with subaru after all theyve gone through in arc 5 and 6, and so now otto is in direct competition with julius. physically, in terms of the difference in their physical power, politically, in terms of julius being part of the anastasia camp, and emotionally—in terms of julius being so close to subaru and being exactly what otto wants. otto wants to be useful. otto wants to have the power to accomplish his goals. he wants to walk alongside emilia and subaru, but he cant while julius easily can.

another important thing is that the key difference between julius and otto is that julius’s “ugly” traits are Barely even bad, while otto’s are far Worse.

and this is further highlighted by the fact that julius’s development in arc 6 mirrors otto’s current arc in arc 8. julius got so stuck in his head that he kept trying to fight his own idol over and over again, hurting himself repeatedly in the process, trying to prove he was useful because he needed to be needed while no one around him really needed him in the way he wanted. the only person he couldve depended on was subaru—until subaru forgot him. of course julius undergoes some development and subarus memory comes back, but julius still cant rely on others. julius Still depended on, needed, and hes there to help in vollachia while, as i said earlier, otto is questioning why hes even here if he has no use. because julius and otto cant depend on others. theyre depended on by many other people (otto playing a key supporting role to his camp), so theyre not allowed to falter.

but otto is faltering, while julius has managed to pick himself back up again even after arc 6. youd think that out of most people, julius is someone who would be able to understand how otto feels—ottos desperation to prove that he has a reason to be here and his desperation to prove his usefulness—but, as ive mentioned earlier, ottos flaws are glaring now. julius’s flaws are different—the gluttonies mention iirc that he was a little mean to his brother at points, which quite frankly isnt that bad especially when you remember how joshua is as a person + julius is Quite Literally an extremely good person otherwise, and then theres the fact that julius wants louis dead, which. yeah thats completely understandable after what louis did to him and his brother. and he most certainly is far from the only one to want louis dead. julius still has good intentions at heart, and he doesnt mean anything regarding louis lightly. in the ex novels, he feels guilty about balleroy (another enemy that julius fought) dying and wishes it didnt have to turn out this way. this is even more poignant when you remember that balleroy happens to be one of the dead that comes back as a zombie in arc 8. its a physical manifestation of julius’s guilt, and knowing julius, he will/likely does feel at least a little guilty about louis given 1. subaru cares about her and 2. she acts exactly like a little kid now.

as for otto—while being a realist is understandable, hes actively withholding information. he kept the tome secret for a year with the intention of restoring it just so HE can read the information in it and then destroy it afterwards so no one else gets to it. he didnt want to tell subaru that louis will likely need to be dead anyway. he doesnt voice his own desire to kill louis. he doesnt reveal his dps ability to read intent. he doesnt reveal that bc of his dp he knows louis is Innocent now. and other than actively withholding information, he outright says / tries to do things like the following quote:

julius doesnt want to hurt anyone. julius wants to save as many as he can and his last resort is hurting people—such as wanting louis dead. but for otto—if its necessary, no matter how morally wrong it is, he’ll do it for subaru and the emilia camp’s sakes. otto is actively malicious AND manipulative.

which is why i think otto is fixated on subaru. otto has a lot of parallels with arc 3 rem—otto was the second person to die for subaru, and the second person to give subaru an important arc-defining speech to uplift him. otto, like rem, is willing to do anything for subaru. except ottos definition of anything doesnt just mean risking his life for subaru. it also means that ottos willing to sacrifice almost anything and anyone else for subaru. otto in arc 8 straight up thinks this:

“his reason for being was to keep saying that the point of compromise subaru had found was unacceptable”—otto places his reason for existence, his reason for being here in vollachia, his purpose, and the reason why hes Needed, on opposing subaru. on doing the dirty work for subaru.

its interesting, then, that both otto and julius’s fights against gluttony in arc 5 mirror each other. julius loses his name because he gives it in battle. otto figures out how erasing works and instructs everyone else not to say his name. julius is injured by gluttony in that his name is gone. ottos legs are injured by gluttony. and when otto fights ley and julius fights roy respectively, ley impersonates rem and roy impersonates joshua.

i mentioned the otto/rem parallels already, but its poignant that joshua was the one roy chose—not only bc its confirmation to us and julius that joshua got eaten, but also in that joshuas relationship to julius is complicated. joshua hates julius. joshua has this massive inferiority complex regarding julius, because julius can accomplish all these things that joshua wants to accomplish but he cant, and yet joshua keeps this hidden by gaslighting himself and everyone around him by playing up the adoring younger brother to an EXTREME. not that joshua doesnt admire his brother, because joshua does, just that its messily tangled with the envy and resentment—but joshua hides all his feelings behind the adoring younger brother act. to otto, ley appeared as rem—another lover to subaru (apart from emilia of course, along with the fact that otto himself Does love subaru) that otto doesnt know at all and yet parallels heavily. to julius, roy appears as joshua—the brother julius has now forgotten, the brother that resents julius and is jealous of julius in a similar way to julius being jealous of reinhard. julius does parallel joshua, in some way, and he doesnt even know.

and if ottos jealous of julius now, it mirrors joshuas jealousy regarding julius. if you put julius and otto together, theres the potential that julius will unknowingly “ruin” otto in the way that he “ruined” joshua, placing even more pressure on julius while otto and joshua stay in the background, in the shadows, and grow bitter of everyone shining in the light. and as for otto, ive mentioned all the things that julius has above otto already, but heres one more—

you could interpret julisuba as a healthier version of ottosuba.

as ive stated earlier, ottosuba and julisuba have Parallels. and of course, im not saying that julisuba are perfect people either, but the thing about ottosuba is that—like otto as a character—it seems innocent at first. with julisuba, its derogatory at first—subaru is the aggressor and the party in the wrong, while julius is forced to publically beat him and humiliate him in order to save his life. but julisuba later grow a very close bond (with…. quite a lot of homoeroticism HAH). meanwhile with ottosuba its a little Less rough. apart from otto pushing subaru off the wagon in arc 3 (which again, ended in otto dying while he was trying to save subaru bc he regretted what he did), ottosuba stays more in the background until otto takes more action in arc 4. and when we get to know ottosubas developing friendship in arc 4, we agree with otto. otto, who tells subaru that theyre friends, who goes out of his way to help subaru, who snaps some sense into subaru and makes a plan with him to tackle the obstacles in arc 4. but the thing is, we knew ottos flaws from the start. he does whatever necessary to accomplish his goals even if its morally wrong (pushing subaru out of the wagon in arc 3). otto gets mad at subaru for being reckless, grows violent with subaru as a result, and helps subaru in any way he can whether subaru wants it or not (arc 4). but in arc 4, ottosuba seems more like a nice friendship. its a breath of fresh air to see someone go out of their way for subaru like this. and im not saying that ottosuba isnt a great relationship, but by the time we get to arc 8, theyre codependent. otto needs to be needed. otto needs subaru to stay alive and out of more trouble, so otto decides to do whatever it takes to do that. otto gets mad at julius for trying to interfere in that, and otto also gets mad at roswaal and proceeds to assume—in his paranoia and anger—that roswaal only wants otto to be less difficult so its easier for roswaal to complete his own scheming. ottos protective of subaru to the point where you could interpret it as obsessive /possessive.

julius, on the other hand, is honest with subaru, as ive said, about what will likely happen with louis. julius is honest. sincere. he refuses to ever betray his loved ones, but he also refuses to lie to them and be their yes man—because its for their own good. otto is not. otto is willing to lie and play dirty even with his own loved ones if he thinks its for their own good. like joshua, otto hides his true feelings on certain things until it bubbles up to the surface—which is why he ends up punching walls out of anger and stewing in his frustration. julius has morals and ideals that he wouldnt want to cross. julius hates the idea of even hurting people. otto has next to zero reservations about this, if not none. once he deems it necessary, if theres something stopping him from doing it, it definitely wont be himself.

and—just a quick mention of ottos possible jealousy again + julisubas homoeroticism (that is, by the way, acknowledged by canon in the form of reid thinking theyre boyfriends), if you want to interpret ottosuba as romantic as well, you could easily interpret part of ottos anger towards julius being the result of him wanting to be the only man around subarus age whos close to subaru. julius is a direct competitor in that aspect too. because otto is genuinely happy for emisuba, especially when theyre both his friends, so while he did get jealous over them (which is canon, according to ottos diary), he doesnt have a problem with them. meanwhile, julius is a complete stranger to otto that got to accompany subaru to the tower—as the one other guy in the party too, by the way—while otto couldnt because he was injured by ley, who was impersonating rem, another one of subarus romantic interests. otto is already mad that subarus chosen vollachia and louis over ottos desire to just choose their self preservation. julius is salt in the wound because to otto, subaru leaving for the tower kinda looks like subaru chose julius over otto—and then julius came to vollachia and reunited with subaru, which is more salt in ottos wounds.

and if you want to make this more messy, ottos admiration and endearment to subaru can easily be paralleled to julius admiring reinhard. subaru and reinhard already parallel in general, but otto and julius were quite literally pining (platonic or otherwise) for subaru and reinhard before those two even recognized otto and julius as friends. make of that what you will.

so additionally—like how julius could “ruin” otto, otto could “ruin” julius. julius can beat otto in a physical fight without breaking a sweat. but unlike subaru, otto has no morals holding him back and hes absolutely capable of figuring out how to beat julius psychologically. otto also has no problem using julius if he really needed to. additionally, if you happened to put otto in a situation where he had julius’s life in his hands and he could get away scot-free with just killing julius—theres a good chance that otto could go ahead with it to remove julius as a threat + cripple anastasia substantially. and, like subaru, otto is capable of really Testing julius’s patience. if you forced them together for long enough with the way their characters are in arc 8, julius very well could snap. julius and otto are both characters whove been dealing with a bunch of shit and are growing tired of it, especially julius. otto may be more volatile in comparison, but julius of course is only human and will crack a bit under the pressure. because otto would place all these standards on him that julius is always cursed to have—ottos already done that in arc 8 by just referring to julius as a knight and therefore his enemy. and thats on top of otto and julius’s relationships to subaru making this Already Complicated.

and if subaru saw two of his closest friends fighting like this, all three of them would be Very Upset about it.

regardless, anastasia camp and emilia camp relations in general are fascinating because at this point, with ottos whole Thing against the ana camp, julius + his friendships to emilia and subaru, and garf and mimi, the two factions are closely connected now. julius and otto though? yeah theyre a powder keg of a rarepair bc i think theyd end up strangling each other wkndjdndjd. and what i mean is that as a rarepair, julius and otto and subaru are in the weirdest most fucked love triangle of all time right now HAH.

also in this scenario—when anastasia finds out about otto messing with julius, otto is not gonna be safe.

[mandysxmuses]

is your muse opposed to violence for todd (lol lol)

He used to be.

But then, how he puts it, he "grew up". Now he kills as both a necessity and just for kicks, whenever he feels like it, when it strikes his fancy. When someone annoys him or when he thinks it would be funny.

When Verheiler is existing, and has the audacity to smile sometimes.

[shikai-the-storyteller]

WTF DO YOU MEAN RICHARLYSON DIED?????

I'm at work waiting for something to save and glanced at my phone and literally felt my heart stop when I saw the words "Richarlyson" and "death" in the same sentence. I forgot they all have 2 lives now, for a moment I LEGITIMATELY thought he was gone forever and I was about to burst into tears in the middle of this damn office building.

[wolvertooth]

ok so im reading wolverine volume 2 to try to get some context for whatever the fucks going on in uncanny. at somepoint, sabretooth starts hunting wolverine more frequently, saying hes his father(which turns out not to be true, dont worry lol). hes been given this belief and nobody can figure out why.

after being given hallucinogenic poison, sabretooth starts to break free from the need to kill and logan starts to remember something…

at first i thought he was trying to say ‘papa’ or something, but then its revealed he was trying to say ‘partner’(uglyyyyyy panel omg)

im not sure if logan remembers them being partners at this point, but he definitely does later. but the thorazine? not ever brought up again(as far as i saw, maybe it is. its hard to find what comics come next in canon since its not contained in a single series, theyre all over the place).

anyway, he then gets xavier and jean to look into his brain, and he finds some memories that dont make sense. (shout out to this bit where creed straight up wants to take him out for a bday date)

(also shout out to whoever put this speech bubble below them LMAO)

logan then goes to the facility in weapon x where the memories were fabricated. in the animated series sabretooth goes too, but i guess he wouldnt need to in the comics since its implied he already has. i think sabretooth found out about it somehow, got captured, and given the new memory of being logans father. this makes sense since after the hallucination thing sobering him up, he drops that belief.

my theory though is that sabretooth got a lot more fucked up by weapon x than logan. i mean, im pretty sure the false memories were all given after they worked together, and they dont seem to have any other reason(outside of using trauma to activate their need to kill) than to make them all want to suddenly turn against eachother. and i think sabretooth specifically was a failsave for if logan ever escaped, to go seek out and kill him.

both big memories(the one with them being partners in suits and the one where silverfox was killed) were based around logans birthday. so thats probably the reason behind sabretooth seeking him out on his birthday every year, being mixed with the ingrained need to kill him, just based on the little amounts of context he has. BUT the reason for him angering logan? for bringing out the animal? for constantly bringing up silverfox? hes trying to get logan to remember. hes trying to help break him from the memory blocks.

and hes trying to break free from his own programming. and its clear that at somepoint, he did. and he just wants logan to be free from it too.

the memory blocks are tied to logans animal side, but even later on when his animal side is finally released by sabretooth, it didnt really do anything for his memory. because at that point logan already remembers, while sabretooth is still under control of it. though, it is mentioned that something in sabretooths brain is unlocked from wolverine stabbing a claw through it? like he became more in control. that his need to kill is now his own choice. so maybe at that point he was just trying to get him to do that(also it kinda sucks that the canon gets passed around to different authors who will just ignore or get rid of established lore, so none of it really sticks for very long and the characters motives keep changing).

its weird though how logan remembers, yet still keeps trying to fight him. he knows its all fake, but still keeps the same opinion….basically sabretooths stuck with a partner whos forced by the narrative to never like him no matter what he does, while being equally doomed by the narrative to never be able to change. no matter how many times they break the spell, as long as the plot keeps going, theyll always be reset to their basic character traits. #peak romantic tragedy.

[trauma-trove]

God, I just like NEED to vent abt this because it's knocking around in my brain and I can't really tell anyone/don't really have the energy to have a Conversation with anyone about it. I just need to vent.

TW for domestic violence (just yelling), references to feeling unsafe, prolonged covert abuse. Everyone mentioned here is physically safe!!

Within the last week, my brother realized his two roommates of about a year have been really abusive towards him and asked them to leave. They're not paying rent, doing chores, they're not on the lease, etc. They've never been physically violent or yelled at him or anything like that, but what they DID do was like, so weird and kind of insidious?

Like, the roommates would have these "conversations" with my brother, during which they would mostly talk at and lecture him about political issues, social issues, and his own personal flaws. Like, it's okay to have serious conversations with your roommates, but these conversations would last 4-6 HOURS, and they had these conversations almost every single day. That's not normal or healthy communication to begin with, but it was really abusive because if my brother didn't drop everything and have these conversations, they'd accuse him of "putting it off" and "avoiding his serious issues." They wouldn't let him sleep when they were up. They wouldn't let him nap during the day after work. They NEVER let him hang out or voice call or game with me because they were so busy monopolizing his time with these "conversations."

Like, I'm sorry, but if your attempts to "fix someone" requires that level of lecturing and time monopoly almost every single day, give up.

And then I found out most of their problems with him were about him being "emotionally unavailable" and "distancing himself from them" and I'm like. My mans was tired bestie!! All he does is work 6 hour shifts and come home to be politely bitched at with Therapy Words for hours and hours and hours on end. He's allowed to have some alone time. Quit taking it personally. The fact that he WASN'T doing anything really worth criticizing--let alone lecturing him about it so much--is just wild to me.

Anyway, this last week a couple things got thrown out of balance. My brother visited with some normal friends for a few days, and it gave him perspective on the whole situation. His roommates started going on about how they were So Afraid of being kicked out and shit, but my brother reassured them over and over again that he wasn't gonna do that.

Well. Cut to a couple days ago. They were having another one of their "conversations," and the MINUTE my brother tried standing up for himself for ONCE in his life, his roommates immediately blew up on him and then proceeded to scream at him through his bedroom door for 7 hours. SEVEN. HOURS.

They were being so hostile and not letting him speak and cutting him off and calling him a gaslighter and recording parts of their conversation on their phones, all while yelling at him for hours and hours and hours on end just because he told them he did not have the capacity to be their live-in therapist and bestest westest friend in the whole wide world 24/7. Like, I don't care what kind of problem you have with somebody; you can't just scream at your roommate through their door for 7 hours. Like who does that?? Hello??

It's weird to me because I feel like this form of slowburn abuse doesn't get talked about. But I know a LOT of abusers my age (gen z, essentially) who had this specific behavior of "have hours-long, deep conversations almost every single day with no boundaries." I do understand that you can get hooked on deep conversations, and they can even be obsessive-compulsive loops or a form of rumination for people with OCD, ptsd, bpd, and other conditions. But when you cannot appropriately regulate when you have these conversations and for how long, it becomes a problem. And if you have an extreme reaction like all that just because someone disagreed with you or put their foot down in a way you didn't like, it's 100% part of the abuse cycle.

Idk, theres so much more to the situation than that, but I really should save it for journalling and therapy. I've just been so overwhelmed by it. My brothers been giving running updates in the groupchat lol. And it's REALLY impressive that he put his foot down (even kind of going back on his word not to kick them out) just because they got aggressive over a stupid disagreement. My brother's been in one million abusive relationships. Neither of us ever really learned how to be a person. (If you've seen any other posts on this blog, you probably have an idea the kind of shit he went through.) So the fact that he sat on the other side of that door and said "nuh-uh, we don't act like this on barbie dot com. You stop yelling at me and you leave my house" is like. Really relieving to hear, I guess.

[asexual-squidward]

The difference between Keamy and Ben is kind of nature vs nurture

Ben was a normal, if introverted, kid who became the person he was because of abuse, trauma, and manipulation (grooming?) by Jacob and the MIB. It’s why he was able to change, and be emotionally healed by Hurley and the gang.

Meanwhile Keamy genuinely had something… wrong in his brain, that made him not only capable of murder but actively enjoyed it. For Ben it’s a game because of the rules Jacob makes him follow, for Keamy it’s a game because it’s FUN.

I also take joy in the fact the LOST universe killed Keamy in the afterlife too - like nah this guy is a total lost cause.