#what a concept! Enjoying something and wanting to analyze it and not always being 100% happy with it? Impossible

[wutheringmights]

After feeling like an absolute clown when I saw The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie in theaters, I figured it was time I sat down and read the original novel for myself. Unsurprisingly, I really enjoyed the book. It's definitely my favorite Hunger Games novel.

I should leave a disclaimer real quick. So I read the original trilogy a few years before the movies were released. I liked them well enough, but I always struggled to love them. Unfortunately, my biggest problem is Katniss. She's a great character. I do not like being stuck in her POV. I wish this was an ensemble story so that every side of the conflict is explored. In that way, the movies almost work better for me. I say almost, as I have such a bone to pick with Catching Fire throwing Katniss back into the arena, but that's another rant for another time.

My point is that I have never been passionate about the series, and I have not read the books in many, many years.

Yet, I still feel fairly confident calling this the best book in the series. I like exploring stories from the wrong perspective. Seeing the games from the eyes of the Capitol is genuinely interesting. I love the chapters where the students debate the philosophy of the games. I love watching Coriolanus justify his own decisions. I am obsessed with how this man thinks.

I cannot give enough praise for how Collins write Coriolanus's point of view. Here, the limited perspective works flawlessly. Seeing the world filtered through his eyes is interesting-- though I wonder why she chose to write this novel in limited third person? Did she want the veneer of objectivity that comes with third person POV, or is the first person POV trend in YA over?

I am not saying this book is perfect. It's goofy in one too many places, and there are a few plot points that just feel very immature to me (mainly, Coriolanus having to save Sejanus from the arena-- only a YA novel would make that justifiable).

My biggest problem is the loss of tension after the second act. As important as it is for the story to take Lucy Gray and Coriolanus out of the Capitol and the games, that third act really drags. There needed to be one more plotline carried over from the first two acts to help keep the suspension building. Collins really could have shaved 100 pages off this book, or made that third act into a second novel entirely.

With that in mind, I think I still like the movie better, if only for all the ways it condenses the story and fixes some of the pacing.

What really upsets me is how many people on Good Reads hate this book. I saw one review decrying the concept of this novel as ill-conceived-- something about trying to humanize the Hunger Games' Palpatine. That takes me back to how hung-up I am at the concept of a Hunger Games fandom. These books are so committed to their message and themes that it's always weird to see people talk about ships and stuff. I guess I just don't see the appeal.

When I was in high school, English teachers were just allowing the first book to be read and analyzed for class. According to a teacher friend of mine, the book is now an official part of the curriculum. I think that's a little unwarranted too. But if kids studied The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in school... yeah, I would be okay with that one.

[ruvviks]

OOOH HEHE. page & two for vitali, ace & two reversed for vincent and seven & nine for mikhail <3

oc asks!

[SEVEN] - Are they secretive? If so, what about? Is it something small, or something serious?

mikhail isn't necessarily very secretive but he also isn't one to tell a lot about himself unprompted. many of his friends have gone years without knowing he studied medicine in uni and is now a year of studying away from a phd LMAO

[NINE] - Are they an anxious person? If so, what makes them feel that way, and how intense do their feelings get?

mikhail is very anxious but specifically about his relationships with his friends :( he's always hyperaware of his own behavior and mannerisms and everything he says and does and is constantly trying to make himself smaller to not take up too much space, terrified he will end up pushing people away

of course this goes better over time and nowadays it's barely noticable anymore but the fears are definitely still 100% there. especially when meeting new people he tries to make a lot of effort to be likable in a way that he thinks will appeal to them but he tires himself out so fucking fast like that :((

he's also always constantly worrying if he's bothering his friends. overanalyzing every single little thing that happens or that's said to the point he believes he did something wrong. it's a setting he can't seem to turn off in his brain despite being hyperaware of what he's doing to himself </3

[ACE] - Do people consider them sharp/witty? Are they quick to adapt to social situations?

vincent can be pretty sharp when he's comfortable in a situation! also when he's uncomfortable but then it's more sharp as in alert and a little paranoid or on edge. when he's comfortable it's a lot easier for him to mix into a conversation and make funny well-timed remarks because he's in the flow of the conversation :^) in those situations it's a lot easier for him to adapt to sudden changes in environment or company

[TWO, REVERSED] - What confuses them the most? Is it something literal, or a broad concept?

vincent is very easily confused when people are unclear with their instructions or intentions. he likes getting direct answers to his questions or when people ask him questions he likes it when they're clear about it and not secretly asking something else within the question or whatever. same with just general communication, as soon as someone seems to be playing 5d chess while he's simply trying to talk something out normally he can get very frustrated

[PAGE] - Are they a curious person? If so, what are some topics they would like to learn more about?

vitali is pretty curious but more in the sense of listening to other people's conversations and learning more about them and their interests rather than actively researching stuff himself. he enjoys listening to his friends rambling about literally whatever and the information they tell him actually sticks in his brain, but he's not the kinda guy who goes scrolling through wikipedia for fun he does NOT have the attention span or the patience for that

[TWO] - Are they indecisive, or do they know what they want when they want it? If they are indecisive, what do they do to help make a choice (e.g, talk it out, flip a coin, etc.)?

this one is fun because vitali can usually very easily make decisions. he HAS to because he's a fixer and he has to think and act quickly on almost a daily basis to keep his mercs safe and to take new gigs from clients and such. he's good at analyzing people and situations which helps with making decisions quickly so Usually it is not a problem at all

however when he's caught off guard by something it can cause his whole brain to reboot and then he will not know what the fuck to do. very obvious example here would be the whole situation in the broker fic where he doesn't know how to deal with the broker anymore because there's entirely too many things happening at once for him :( whenever things are too personal for him or involve his loved ones his emotions can get in the way to the point he starts overthinking everything which makes it a lot more difficult to get things done

[hyperfixation-hideout]

FNDM PSA

if you tag your post with "anti rwde" as two words or "anti-rwde" it still shows up in the rwde tags. Use "antirwde" instead ✌

[girlgerard]

not the prev anon but to both you and the prev anon - I remember a time on tumblr when it was debated if it was okay to rb pics of Gerard during DD in case it was insensitive to his eating disorder. and I've seen discussions on how it fucking hurts to listen to Bullets and Revenge because of them all going through depression and addiction and suicidal ideation. and knowing that TBP was rough time on them during recording bc of Mikey's anxiety and addiction and all of them being in a really horrible place. these are all things I've thought of a lot and have come to the conclusion that if we let that way of thinking dictate whether or not we enjoy the albums then we would not listen to any of their music at all or reblog hardly any of their pictures or watch the videos or anything like. we all love the music, we love them, this is something that brings us all joy, we all find solace in their music because we've all been in pain exactly the same way as them. I think the band loves all of the music they've made and they're proud of it and they want us to love it too. I think if anything they're probably proud to see so many people embracing Danger Days. (pointing it out specifically since it's the one mentioned in the ask.) I have no idea how to conclude this other than at the end of the day I don't think we should feel bad for loving any of the music or albums or concepts or anything. plus, we can clearly see now that they're all doing pretty good and are happy /now/ and I think that's extremely important. there was a lot of pain that went into their music but those same people are happy and having a good time and passionate about their music right now.

absolutely 100% my thoughts put in an extremely eloquent way, thank you so much. the reality is that sometimes art IS made through pain. sometimes art is the cause of that pain. if we act like art can only be consumed if we analyze harm reduction first that really fucks with the message of the band, which has always been about hope alongside rejection and illness and injury. mcr has never been about nihilism. if you personally feel uncomfortable interacting with certain eras for your own reasons, that's perfectly fine. however interacting and connecting with and LOVING the art spawned out of those eras is not something to feel ashamed of. the guys love these songs. they love each other. it's a disservice to how far they've come to try and censor what they went through

[well-its-not-human-anymore]

I’m obsessed with the idea of having a soulmate that is perfectly made for you! Could you do something with Donnie x reader who is so eccentric and free spirited but they have words of the first thing their soulmates will say to them and they end up being soulmates? If that makes sense lol :). If you get confused I give you 100% free liberty to do anything you want! Thank you so much 🥰🥰

Ooohh I love this and made my brain crack out on it 😁😁😁 Hope you love it!!!

TMNT Oneshot's

Donnie's gotta soulmate

‘What is a soulmate?’ is probably the most searched question on the internet since the internet became a thing. And there is genuine curiosity surrounding that question, much like the purpose of life, it goes relatively unanswered and because of this people regard the idea of soulmates as something inherently evil. Something other. Since childhood you’ve found both this concept and its theories rather hilarious, you figure that if the universe wanted to fuck us over it would just throw a meteor at us and start over. A little Big Bang 2.0 if you will.

Some people are so ridiculously afraid of the concept of another half that they marry someone who is most definitely not their intended. Your parents are some of those people. Your parents are also the reason that you moved out of the house the second you saw a chance for freedom. Now you’ll admit, living in an upscale college dorm is not at all where you thought you’d be at this point in your life, but you’re not entirely mad about it. The debt isn't too bad and the city is beautiful, maybe not to the locals, but when you grow up in rural Minnesota, the big city is sure to impress.

Perhaps your favorite part was that no one thought you were weird whenever you went about your normal life, while chucking frozen peas at ducks would have earned you more than a few stares back home, here passerby simply looked on. Weirder things had happened in New York after all.

You figured that out the hard way.

The walk back to your dorm after a 9pm class always landed you in the same spot, the shitty apartment building rooftop. It was a genuine wonder that you hadn’t been kidnapped or murdered yet. But sitting there just made you feel so centered, so at home, like the sky would descend to wrap you in a cosmic hug. The glow of the streetlights distracted you from the sunset and the noise of the bustling city below made you oblivious to the enormous figure making its way towards you.

Donnie was so fucking DONE with this toaster. It didn’t matter how many times he fixed it or added a new wire or panel, the damn thing just wouldn’t stay fixed. It was one of the few things he’d ever given up on, and it was pissing him off on a whole new level. Not a level that Leo or Splinter would’ve liked, of course, because it was this level of complete and total ‘fuck this bullshit’ that sent him storming right past a civilian minding their own business and smashing the toaster down into the darkness of the alleyway.

His heart didn’t just skip a beat when he noticed you there. It went full tilt like a child jazzed up on mountain dew dancing to Cotton Eye Joe. Donnie feared that if it beat any faster it would vibrate into the next dimensional plane and disappear forever. It sure felt like that would be his end. Your eyes had locked and it became a staring contest between himself and you, both open-mouthed and panicking.

Ever have that habit of saying the absolute dumbest shit when you’re panicked?

“If this is my life then God is gonna be an imperialist piñata in a hot fucking minute.”

The answer is yes.

Luckily for you the universe chose very well.

“He can join my toaster if you want. I’ve got no objections.”

Silence was your only companion as you both watched the words just spoken scrawl across your forearms like ink from a quill, all you could do was stare in disbelief. Donnie felt like he was on the verge of catastrophic heart failure when you finally spoke again.

“You know it’s not the shell that pisses me off, I just wish I said something way cooler.”

The purple clad turtle in question sighed in return, “How do you think I feel?”

Oh how you loved it when people gave you openings for bad jokes.

“Probably a lot like that toaster.”

An audible groan sent you into a fit of laughter and you had to cover your mouth to reign yourself in before what remained of your common sense flew away forever. Donnie was analyzing you now, the shock still hadn’t worn off but his heart rate had slowed enough for him to finally look you over, he wasn’t shocked at your appearance, just that you were definitely human. You were having the same thoughts as he was, just slightly altered.

“Soooo quick question?”

He broke his gaze and tilted his head at you.

“Are you a turtle or a tortoise? Or... neither?”

It was his turn to smile and he even snorted a little in pure amusement, grateful that you hadn’t said something else.

“Technically I’m a terrapin.”

Your grin could’ve lit up the whole block, you shuffled to your feet and dusted yourself off, offering him your hand.

“I’m Y/N.”

His hand was massive in yours.

“Shocking to meet you, I’m Donatello.”

That brilliant smile turned mischievous.

“Oh I’ve got so many bad jokes that I’m not gonna make.”

Guess who just learned how to use the Keep Reading button???? Yes I am as proud of myself as I sound 😁🧡

Enjoy!

-Mars 🌠

[probably-haven]

Hello!! After seeing what you wrote about xiaoven fics I went to see what things you usually write and omg, your archon Venti headcanons????? I am absolutely in love. So if it isn't annoying, could you talk about xiaoven or Venti or Xiao or whatever ship or character you like? I don't care what you are going to say, I just want to know more about your thoughts ^^

I- is this... bestie, this is essentially a free ramble pass- kerujsgheskdfug. Trust me when I say that in no way is this, and in no way will it ever be annoying in the slightest- i literally- lets just say rambling off thoughts is kind of my specialty, especially when provided a topic to branch off of because otherwise I'm just- really indecisive about it so- iujskdh yeah- 100% definitely down to talk about Venti, Xiao, and/or Xiaoven XD. Also, yes- it may have been awhile since i last posted one(cuz again, indecisive about which direction to take part 5), but the Archon War Era Venti headcanons are still without a doubt my favorite posts I've made. It's just such an interesting topic with such endless potential that so few people actually think about or consider or even realize is there, so i always just get really psyched whenever i see someone interact with them lol.

.... this ended up being a bit of a mess: warning in advance

Anyway! onto the actual content!

- You see the thing about Xiaoven is that there's a lot of different ways that it could end up working out, and just personally my favorite way of portraying Xiaoven in my mind is as an unlabeled relationship because if anyone in genshin would give off that vibe its these two. And a number of other reasons.

- Firstly, I heavily headcanon Venti as being an aroace polyplatonic or perhaps heavily demiromantic. However, regardless of this I just don't think that Venti is really the kind of person to worry about how he should label his feelings, thinking it's silly to try to put them in one box or the other, especially with feelings and emotions being as fluid as they are in general. Plus it fits his whole God of Freedom vibe. I just- dont think he's the biggest fan of labels or social categorization in general.

- And secondly on the hand of Xiao... his defense mechanisms are very much ingrained in his personality. It's probably hard enough for him to not go into fight or flight(the answer is fight) at the slightest affection at first, at the slightest feeling of vulnerability. Even further down the line, with his fierce dedication to Liyue, I cant help but get the vibe that the moment he recognized that he was falling for Venti he would begin avoiding him, not only to avoid distraction from his duty, but to avoid corrupting him or losing him in general like he has with like basically every other person he gets close with(even believing that the cycle had repeated once more when he first heard of Morax's death)... now imagine Venti tryna slap a label on their relationship and tell me Xiao would have a positive reaction.

- The thing with Xiaoven.... honestly, i feel like theres more ways that it can go wrong than it can go right, but if they do manage to make their relationship work out, it's just simply beautiful in all terms of the word.

- Lets talk about killing. - During the Archon War, both were forced to kill a large number of people and gods alike- Venti out of a need to remain alive to protect Mondstadt, it's freedom, and the nameless bard's legacy by extent- and Xiao out of servitude to the god that was once his master

..... actually- break here- ive talked a lot about Venti on this blog but I havent actually spoken about Xiao all that much- so i should probably do that a bit first... do note though that my characterization of Xiao is pretty flexible actually- this is just- the possible characterization of him that i tend to favor as being the most- uh- "realistically complex"

-

Theres a line I saw this one time in a certain story: "He is a trained weapon. That's what he is, was, and always will be. You cannot change that so stop trying." And i just- think its a really interesting concept- that applies pretty well to Xiao now that i actually think about it. - the concept behind it is this: After spending more than a vast majority of his life killing or otherwise in battle, it's become a part of who he is, a normalcy that after centuries and centuries would be near impossible to get rid of or reverse, and even if it was possible, with his karmic debt constantly eating away at him its unlikely he has enough time left for that to happen. - it sounds like a cruel thing to say about him- but in context it's actually pretty layered and i think about it a lot. It's not as much a "he's a killer lol, that his whole personality" its more of a "The centuries of trauma he experienced have conditioned him into a constantly alert and battle ready mindset while also shaping his dehumanizing inferior-in-worth-but-superior-in-capability view of himself that would have likely been necessary to get through those time, and at this point he's been under that conditioning for long enough that it's essentially ingrained itself in his personality."

- the main idea is- it's a part of who he is, that needs to be accepted as who he is because its not something that he can just up and change. It's not all he is of course but his constant battle mode, as though always waiting to be ambushed or to be granted a new target to eradicate.

a couple character story quotes:

-"His past of service under the evil god had rid Xiao of his innocence and gentleness. All that remained within him was the means to kill and the weight of his sins. The only way he could be of service to mortals was in combat." -"Xiao does not feel any hatred. Having lived for over two thousand years, no single karmic debt constitutes anything more than a fleeting memory. No grudge can last a thousand years; nor is any debt so great that it cannot be paid off in this time. Xiao has spent many long years alone. But his battles have never been in vain." -"where did Xiao have to return to? He was merely leaving the battlefield." -"since Xiao wages a constant war against dark forces powerful enough to devour Liyue in its entirety, any bystanders who witness him in the heat of battle are likely to end up as collateral damage." -"The war he fights can never be won, and will never come to an end." -"Because ultimately, the one with whom Xiao wrestles is himself."

i feel like at some point this very nearly did consume his whole personality, almost turning him into nothing more than a being of slaughter under Morax's control, devoid of any "humanity" at all, consumed and corrupted by his karmic debt like his fellow yakshas before him. - until he experienced a moment of clarity- a song in the wind, the peaceful melody of a dihua flute. - and pulled back from the border of something he wouldnt have been able to return from, there a was a shift in his mind- a concept grown unfamiliar enough with time that it took him a great time to identify what it was; a curiosity. Something that there was no place for on the battlefield, something that by all means should have been completely useless to Xiao, and yet he held onto that curiosity, slowly regaining over time, a sense of who he was and who he could choose to be with each song that the wind chose to carry towards him every once in a blue moon.

and eventually that curiousity turned to longing. Longing "for a day to come when he will wear the mask and dance — not to conquer demons, but to the tune of that flute amid a sea of flowers"

...... uh- heh- if you couldn’t tell already i have a tendency to make my characterizations/analyses of characters more serious that i probably should. 

to summarize: Xiao is constantly toeing the line between his ingrained nature and his humanity- almost as though still trying to decide how much of that humanity he deserves to have, how much he is allowed to have, and how much is safe to have.

^looking back after writing this, i think the best way to explain it is that this is the view that i keep in mind/the lense that i tend to most enjoy looking through and refering back to while examining and/or analyzing his character, actions, story, lines, and overall personality.

idk- i kinda got off track but i just think its a really interesting interpretation to think about because it has some really interesting implications ig- it’s not the full extent of how i view him of course, but i kinda got ahead of myself and its long enough as is so ill just elaborate as i go- Lol i actually have in progress playlists for both him and venti and just- vibes- i could ramble about the playlists alone for hours explaining everything... It’s probably a problem- uh- ill keep going now lol.

anyways! stepping off the angst path for a brief break! Brought to you by their lines in the snow: both waiting for it to get thick enough, Venti for the purpose of a snowball fight and Xiao for the purpose of a tasty and nutritious breakfast.

but its actually something of note that Xiao doesnt actually need to eat so anything he does eat is usually out of obligation or enjoyment- so like.... snow.... like i dont blame him, but of all things- an adeptus who refuses to eat basically anything but almond tofu looks at the freezing-cold-floor-water that yeeted itself from above and decided at some point- damn- that seems more edible than basically ever single actually edible thing ever.... im gonna eat it- like- im glad if eating snow makes him happy but- at the same time...

He probably convinces Venti to eat snow too though and Venti wouldnt even resist I mean he’s wind and has probably consumed worse things in his time so- 2 anemo cryptids with glowing tattoos sitting in Dragonspine monching snow in the dead of night is an amusing thought to me.

- kay, now back to more serious-toned thoughts

One of the things about the ship that i really like is the different contradicting parallels between them:

A lot of how i view Xiao’s character is someone formed largely by the things he cant control and who was forced to accept that accepted that and learned to thrive in it as much as he can.  Venti on the other hand is surrounded by things he cant control and is ever adapting to control as much as he can while embracing whatever he cant as being part of the unpredictability of the world, seeing beauty in it. 

both of them have lost people and do what they do to honor their memory: Xiao continues to do what the Yakshas once did And Venti chooses to do what his friend couldn’t

Xiao’s power coming from himself  and Venti’s from others And both seem to appear to use their power for their own gain while truly helping others behind the scenes

both have killed a lot of people during the archon war Xiao views it as another necessary event out of his control and Venti would likely view it as a tragedy he chose to enact himself

and this is where we meet out balance

Xiao- contrary to how i think a lot of people view him as thinking of himself as a monster- seems canonically to have accepted this as part of his duty, as long as those he killed are not mortals. I dont think he enjoys it no- but someone has to do it and he’s just accepted that its a part of his duty Venti on the other hand-

See the beauty of the ship- as someone with an angst-centric mind- is this- these are two of the most traumatized mfers in the game 

Xiao is by far the one who needs the most help and who can serve to benefit most from the ship- but he is nowhere near self aware enough to recognize that there’s anything wrong or unhealthy about his mindset in the slightest-

whereas you have the contrast with Venti who sorted through most of his trauma with the nameless bard alone during the archon war and while the result appears more healthy- is still really not- but he’s not self aware of that either because i mean- who’s going to tell him? nobody even knows. 

however- venti is aware enough to notice flaws in Xiao’s mindset and “Venti” enough to want to help them through it-

Xiao- while not aware enough to recognize the flaws in Venti’s mindset, can recognize where it contrasts with his own, and is blunt enough to point it out- and then it’s out there to be mulled over- 

they’re so similar and yet so different and a feel just conversing between the two of them, being in each others precense, just being exposed to two mindsets that are so very different could do both of them a whole lot of good.

GEEE THAT BIT OF RAMBLING HAD LITTLE TO NO DIRECTION AT ALL- LET ME-- LET ME MAKE THIS START MAKING SENSE- WITH... DYNAMICS OR SOMETHING

I don’t think Xiao needs to sleep really- and i dont think that sleeping would do anything except make him uneasy at first- he’d probably just get nightmares after all he’s been through- but with Venti he would soon learn that it doesn’t have to be that way, lulled into the first peaceful sleep he’s had in... as long as he can remember.

anywho back to not making sense cuz im fickle and i think most questions about ships are best displayed through character interactions so like- a possible exchange thats cliche but cliches exist for a reason

Xiao: Why do you try so hard to help me, it isn’t easy. I know that much Venti, with the most adoring expression: Because you’re worth it, obviously Xiao: But surely there are others more deserving of- Venti: No Xiao, everyone is just as deserving as the next person, you included Xiao: Then why me above others? Venti: ehe, cuz ur my warrior of course [O//////O oh shit, hes right] Xiao: My contract is with Morax alone [gay panic but in broody yaksha]

it’s kinda difficult cuz neither of them really address their feelings.  I mean Venti does but he does it very indirectly and its rare that he ever does it with like- genuine directness- even spilling his backstory was in the form of a song- and told in the third person- so a lot of their interactions would often have some deeper meaning, especially with Venti being the bard he is. 

I come up with a lot of- errant thoughts about Xiaoven- but this is making me realize that a true analysis of their ship is rather difficult because it just encompasses so many dynamics so its hard to settle on just one and not go rambling about who knows what bouncing from one end of the ship to the other-  Because you truly can and thats the beauty of it

within one moment you can be having a heartfelt conversation about the archon war the impact of lost friends and times past, and the next moment Venti is trying to forcefeed Xiao an apple while Xiao screams about disrespecting the adepti and its just- so lovely

so while they have picnics with nothing but apples, dandelion wine, and almond tofu they can sit down and talk about the dreams Xiao once devoured, and the dandelion wine and apple cider that the first Ragnvindir invented from the plants that never could have grown in Old Mond. The foods that tasted of familiarity, or of the grilled ticker fish Pervases always used to eat, foods that tasted of friends and frankly family that had since passed, glaze lilies and cecilias and qingxin flowers scattered in the surroundings and woven into Xiao’s neat braids and Venti’s now messy ones, rebraided by the steady and inexperienced hands of one unused to gentle action. 

and then of course Venti steals Xiao’s tofu once the mood becomes too grim and replaces it with a bottle of wine that Xiao refers to as “vile poison,” a remark that fatally wounds Venti as he collapses on the floor, proclaiming how he can only be healed by a Yaksha’s kiss. Xiao ignores this of course and simply takes back his tofu with a slight smile on his face, but as Venti persists he soundlessly places a kiss on his own palm before intertwining their fingers and pulling him back up from where he was dramatically sprawled on the floor, grumbling about how such action was “unbecoming of an archon.” A sign of affection only Xiao would ever know about. But Venti is literally wind and I hc his senses work differently anyways so he definitely knows- plus Xiao’s face is red as the blood of his enemies and the way he is pointedly not looking at Venti at all really speaks volumes anyways. 

 -Venti playing epic battle music whenever Xiao goes into fights in what looks like a ridiculously extra performance to anyone else but is actually doing wonders to keep Xiao’s karma at bay

-Venti preaches the practice of “kissing wounds better” and Xiao is unfamiliar with this medical treatment but views it as unnecessary regardless because adepti have accelerated healing, doesn’t mean he’s going to stop him though. 

-Messages whispered on the wind

-Venti’s 1000 year sleep- an accident, not a fun time for the yaksha, and not a fun time for Venti once he woke up. Venti is actually more afraid of restful sleep than Xiao is, hence the sleeping in trees thing, but when Xiao is there, he can sleep restfully with faith that Xiao wont let another millennia slip through his fingertips. 

- Xiao tends to make excuses when doing things that aren’t necessary to his duty, like in his birthday voice line “Have this, it’s a butterfly i made from leaves... Okay. Take it. It’s an adepti amulet -- it staves off evil��� because at the current point in his progress it helps him to feel like he’s allowed to do these things. Not wanting to put him off from progress, Venti never comments on his excuse but never fails to whisper a quick reminder of how proud he is of how far Xiao had come.

- Xiao’s karma saddens Venti greatly- not only because of how it effects Xiao but also because its a reminder that as much as Venti tries to honor the memory of those he’s killed, there will always be those who resent him for it, and when he took the option of living away from them, he truly can’t blame them. - And when he gets too wrapped up in thoughts, whether around this topic or similar ones or otherwise, eventually, he’ll hear the sound of a flute on the wind. It’s not divine by any means, but as his own wind connects him to the source, he gets the sentiment all the same. “What impact does one individual’s remaining wrath have on the present. You have done much to help the living in the present” the unspoken idea that Xiao has included himself in that statement, because now, with Venti’s help he’s beginning to learn just how to experience living for himself. 

- Venti’s form and Xiao’s mask are off limit topics though because if either mentions it the other will counter with the opposite and the mood will turn immediately bitter at the idea that both know that what they’re doing is destructive but neither are willing to change

- Venti who has different tells for negative feelings than most people because as much as he likes to pretend it is- this form isnt his, and Xiao who is able to identify those

- many fanfics and headcanons have Venti recognizing when Xiao is uncomfortable and getting him out of those situations. I see that and I love it but i raise you: - Venti taking Xiao to Mondstadt, careful that he doesn’t get to the point that he’s uncomfortable. And nothing goes wrong exactly, but Xiao notices the the way Venti’s cape is blowing in the wind, the way he’s holding his weight, barely on his feet so much as floating on the wind, connected with the ground only for the sake of appearance, all the while he looks just as happy go lucky as ever. And without a word, he grabs his hand and teleports them both out of Mondstadt.  - turns out it was just a slight thing that reminded him of the archon war (cuz i will die on the hill of him having more tragic backstory than just Decarabian), and he of course gives a sincere if not flustered thanks to Xiao, because he’s really not used to people noticing. 

- Venti trying to vent sneakily through fictional stories and Xiao is just like “Didn’t that basically happen to you” and Venti is just like “<_< shit”

- Venti once said affectionally that he wished he had met Xiao sooner and Xiao immediately and seriously shot it down by saying “If you had, I would have been forced to kill you” and both of them now stay up at night wondering who would have won that fight, not sure which result would have hurt more. (because honestly I have no idea who would win in that fight and that terrifies me- I like to think it would have been one of those legends that end with “and the fight persists to this day” or something along those lines)

- “How long have you been together?” “Adepti have no need for-” “1000+ years T^T how dare you deny our love” “O///O our...? ...useless”

- its disney- let me explain- i have this- i have this headcanon inspired by watching too many animatics- - so venti has a human form that isnt his- which he would have had to get used to moving in- and he’s a bard- - uh- anyway- as a third degree black belt in mixed martial arts, i can speak as an authority on this(not really an authority since i havent gone since quarantine but lets pretend). We have a thing referred to as the big three(most things do), and those things are martial arts, gymnastics, and dance. The idea is that they reflect really well off of each other and the best in any one category are good in all three. Timing, balance, form, discipline, technique, hand-eye coordination, grace, ease of motion, they all play a part- anyway-

- Venti taking Xiao’s prowess in martial arts and acrobatics and teaching him how to dance, and as someone who’s extremely skilled in the first two, the third comes easy to him, almost naturally. And it’s delicate and beautiful and lovely and it isn’t hurting anyone. And Venti points all these things out and more and despite how much Xiao insists that he feels ridiculous he truly does enjoy it and it goes a long way towards helping him form more healthy views of himself and his worth.  - Verr Goldett walked in on him once and made a joke about performing at the inn. unfortunately Venti was there and agreed on Xiao’s behalf before he could protest and- and it wasn’t as bad as Xiao thought it would be... he still wouldn’t do it again though without reason, but with good enough reasoning he could probably be convinced. 

- anyways point is he likes dancing to Venti’s songs and i just think that’s really cute - just picture the idea that all the animatics you see actually have the potential to be canon- ugh

- venti tries holding something out of Xiao’s reach since he’s taller and Xiao just fucking teleports 

- both need their space but when they dont, all they have to do is speak the other’s name and they’ll be there.

- and because i just had to.... love languages

- lets start with Xiao- i don’t think he’d view acts of service or quailty time as a love language tbh, and he blunt but really bad with words so affirmation is out, leaving gift giving and physical touch. However, he seems to view most material things as meaningless so- - Xiao who’s love language is in his fleeting touches, something he’s only recently grown comfortable with because of Venti, and now is giving back, which he knows he doesn’t have to do, but that he want’s to, though he’ll still continue to make excuses for each one. “you were shivering” “The inn is high up, you could have fallen..... I said what I said, you’d question an adeptus?”

- and as easy as it is to say words of affirmation for Venti- he does that for everyone- i want to say his is actually acts of service - its the acts of service that let him see just how much Xiao has progressed afterall, from teaching him to dance, to playing another song on the flute, to supplying him with the almond tofu he seems to enjoy so much. Every little thing he does helps Xiao to grow and he couldn’t be happier about that. 

-

- of course most of my headcanons for the ship do take place latter into the relationship because- y’know the less serious unhealthy vibes allow for greater range of thought, but i do still love to think about the serious implications so i kinda hopped back and forth. So sorry about how messy it is btw, i kinda- got carried away- it kinda got some kind of structure near the end tho so- maybe it’s okay. anyway- back to... lol something, we’ll see where thought forests lead. 

[obeymeluv]

The Bros Visit the Human World

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵ 

You bring the bros to the human world for a little get-away and they develop some interesting habits.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Lucifer

He’s the restless one that doesn’t sleep well. It takes a night or two to get comfortable and sleep normally.

Lucifer will probably be the first one up. Not only out of habit, but you’re in the human world so he’ll see the sun again

Being away from Diavolo and the responsibilities actually makes him seem like a stranger. Everyone forgets who he is outside of that because he’s so dedicated.

If you’re around a lot of nature, he’ll just casually stroll around. Almost like he’s forgotten what grass, trees, and flowers look like. He loves to spend time in the sun and just breathe the air.

Have pets? He’s partial to cats and well-behaved dogs.

Surprisingly, he’ll be the type to chase birds off of anything half-wounded or put birds back into their nests

At some point you’ll find him on the roof, wings out and sunning

Take him to livestock stores or somewhere like Tractor Supply Co. and he’ll be super tempted to smuggle a baby chick out in his pocket.

Loathes most human TV. Can’t bring himself to be interested until you bust out bible-history related documentaries. If he finds one he’ll take control of the TV, watch it all, and rip it to pieces.

Kind of develops a complex about it. “What would these humans know?! They’ve only been around for, what, forty years? Try five thousand!”

Take him by the coffee shops or smoothie shops to try decadent treats! He secretly likes them!

Mammon

Sleeps easier than Lucifer but has a tough time because the noises are different

If you have an open field or bigger back yard, his favorite thing to do is stand there and watch birds come to him. It surprises him that he can summon more than crows

Boy will definitely throw on a sunhat (or some cool glasses) and ask you what you feed birds around your place. Stands out in your yard throwing bird seed like the birds are starving and he’s got a million bags.

The type to fight squirrels and chase them out of your yard or away from feeders because “It’s not FOR you!”

If you live somewhere more laid-back he’ll feel very restless. He’s drawn to bigger, busier places.

IMMEDIATELY asks you about restaurants and things to do (”What’cha got? What’s good? Anything fun around here?”)

Gets super frustrated by shows like Storage Wars but it eerily good at appraising the value of stuff at a glance. Often guesses the real value of the objects

Show him Antique Roadshow. He’ll LOSE. HIS. SHIT.

He’ll ask to go by places like pawn shops and jewelers to just look at the different things humans trade or want to save up for. Can probably get discounts on the stuff.

Bring this guy when shopping for jewelry. He has an innate gift for appraising and can see flaws. He knows when you’re being played.

Want to be a little mean? Get those chocolate treasure chest coins and give one to Beel first. Mammon might just have a heart attack.

Definitely goes on a rant about how making chocolate money is wrong. (”Why make a currency you can’t spend?!”)

Make the visit special by getting some type of matching jewelry--earrings, rings, necklaces--and he’ll wear it around.

Take him by pet stores where they’ll let the birds out of cages, he’ll make kissy noises and love on all of them. Will definitely try to smuggle one out.

He’ll spend whole days in parks when he realizes you can park it on a bench and feed birds. Birds that don’t always get food!

Don’t show him water fountains. He doesn’t get the concept of people tossing coins in and will definitely try to take them by posing as a cleaner or something

Taking him by a museum is a 50/50 gamble. He’s genuinely interested in the displays and setup but might try to steal something   

Do you have a way to watch The Road to El Dorado? Show it to Mammon. He’ll love it.

Leviathan

Unless you live by some cute cafes, comic book stores, or video game retailers he probably won’t do much on his visit

Do you have a pool? He changed his mind. Might gripe about the chlorine messing with his skin though.

If you only have access to a community pool he refuses to do anything with it

Take him to the beach if you live near one. He’ll ALWAYS go for ocean water!

Because the Devildom is the Devildom, I bet they don’t have Ghibli movies. Maybe they have knock-offs, or they’re considered rare because they’re human world related, but have a Ghibli marathon with him! He’ll love it! It won’t be Ruri-chan levels of love, but he’ll stan and want to buy some stuff

Can you make boba tea at home or swing by a coffee shop that makes a close substitute? Take him! He’ll like it! Levi may complain about it not being authentic but he’ll secretly appreciate it

He likes savory food and junk food so take him by a dollar store and get some cheap chips and sodas. It’ll be interesting to try. Maybe he can make a Deviltube video about trying human food!

Levi also strikes me as someone who would like nachos, so maybe grab him some nachos!

Do they know about the Doritos and Mountain Dew thing in the Devildom? He might want those. (”Look, I’m like the human gamers!”)

Levi runs a little colder than his brothers (by Devildom standards) so take him around to feel on blankets and maybe get one to take back to the Devildom.

Satan

Has a great love for books (obviously) and a great disdain for Devildom bookstores that charge an arm and a leg for human finds. TAKE HIM BY BOOKSTORES AND LET HIM LIVE IN HIS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT!

The type to bring an extra suitcase just for books

Is actually quite a homebody because he has no connections in the human world (besides you), so he’s fine to sit and read his new finds.

Do you have books at home? What are your favorites? He’ll read them, too, while he’s here

Show him some kind of crime channel or crime YouTuber and he’s 100% obsessed. Binges them like Netflix

Will wave you over and demand you sit, tangling your legs together as you lean back and speculate on who the murder is and what happens since most of those TV episodes are an hour long

Loves anything psychological-based. Wants to understand why people do things and how they work. Show things like Criminal Minds and Mind Games. He’ll be SUPER interested.

Do you have cats? You’ll see Satan whispering them and holding them against his shoulder. He’s in love and might be planning to steal your cat.

Taking him by animal shelters makes him a little sad but he’ll be glad to play with all the cats at one time.

Don’t tell him that, to most humans, Lucifer and Satan are the same figure in the Bible. He just might lose his shit.

Does your town have history/mystery tours? Take him! It’s a two-in-one and he loves it! History and culture, mystery and crime!

Show Satan Cinderella. He’ll get the BIGGEST laugh out of the cat being called Lucifer.

Asmodeus

Like Mammon, will ask you about aesthetic places and things to do

In a rare moment of not hating Mammon, the two will gossip at the jewelry stores and be really critical. Mammon stops Asmo from making bad purchases

Show him around some makeup stores! He’d LOVE to see human products!

If you take him by ANY store with clothes, he will look, pick, feel, analyze, and try things on for the hell of it. It will be an all-day thing

Human fashion takes off more than he expected on the Devilgram, so he’ll buy a few things.

When he realizes makeup stores give free makeovers, he’ll use that to his advantage. Especially by charming people

Goes on a small kick of charming people to get what he wants because Lucifer only ever told him he couldn’t do it to YOU. It’s a new level of fawning and attention and he eats it up

If he sees a cute Starbucks drink on TV, he wants it.

If you show him Pinterest or Instagram, he’s glued to a device and saving things.

By the time everyone goes back to the Devildom he has a tiny notebook full of ideas and details--ways to recreate it in the Devildom

Gets several modeling offers and you (or one of the bros) has to pull him away, It’s not happening.

Unexpectedly into unboxing videos and calligraphy. Lives for pretty hand writing and is fascinated by bullet journaling even though he’s too lazy to maintain one

Show him soap operas/dramas and celebrity entertainment channels. He won’t know what to believe.

If he sees shows like Jerry Springer, Maury, Jeremy Kyle, or Judge Judy he live-streams them like ‘can you believe what crazy things happen in the human world?!’

Beelzebub

The dollar store is his heaven! ALL THIS FOOD FOR A DOLLAR?!

I personally think that human food is less calorically dense so he’ll need to eat a lot. Take him by fast food places that have cheap dollar menus or five dollar deals

If you go to a restaurant with a ‘finish in ‘x’ amount of a minutes and it’s free!’ do it. He’ll set a record

Beel learns about all you can eat buffets and gives you puppy eyes until you take him to one. At least you’ll get your money’s worth!

Don’t take him by a real grocery store. He’ll bankrupt you. Or eat all the free samples.

He’s interested in cooking shows but if he watches them you’ll have to clean up a lot of drool, give him something to eat while he’s watching, or stop him from absently grabbing the closest thing and trying to eat it

Is super into renovation shows and technical shows where people work with their hands. It’s like sports of the mind.

Not as interested in watching American football because he’ll critique it too much. Any other sport, he’ll find it interesting and want to know how it works.

Show him old Olympic footage. He’s surprised at the variety of sports and will watch the whole thing

Will also enjoy Ghibli movies. How do they make food look like that?!

This boy is a Disney princess in a demon body. If he sees any critters while he’s out and about (ANY), he’ll want to try and feed it or pet it

Bugs are drawn to him. He especially likes caterpillars and butterflies.

Beel likes to hunt for ladybugs.

Likes to “donate” to ant hills and watch them work,

Likes to watch nature documentaries about different animals

If you take him to the zoo, he’ll marvel at the different animals. Wants to wrestle a tiger and the bigger animals to see if he’ll win. It looks “fun.”

Belphegor

When he hears about mattress stores, that’s his thing. That’s what he wants you to do together. Belphie will literally lay on as many mattresses as possible and judge them

He may not have a hard time sleeping as long as he has his favorite pillow, but, for kicks, show him ASMR. Beel’s not the only one who drools!

Will definitely fall asleep outside in the sun. Any place is a good place for a nap, and to look up and see clouds is special

Spend a night outside under the human sky. It’s constellations and things he only ever gets to see in the star room

Will watch just about anything on TV. He’ll say he doesn’t have a preference but he likes those happy, soft movies that have gentle endings where everything turns out okay. Actually cries a little.

If he learns what Snorlax is from Pokemon, he’ll want one. A big Snorlax plushy to cuddle and sleep on/with!

If he hears the word “demon” uttered on TV he’s instantly hooked. What stupid thing do these humans think? THAT’S their version of a demon?!

Can you take him to see real cows? He’d really like that.

The type to make flower chains in the grass because he’s bored. Gives his first one to Beel and falls asleep before he can make another one.

Loves milkshakes unironically. Will slink out of bed and come along on any errands/brother outings if he can get one out of you.

[missolitude]

4,6,12,24,54,56,57,100 🥰

4. Do you place any value in gender roles?

Personally, I don't think I do but I still think there is need for discussion on that topic. I think human beings are beautifully diverse and multi-dimensional and gender, in my opinion, is the least interesting category one could focus on. I think people, especially in relationships, need to be aware of what kind of priorities, needs and expectations they have and whether they place any values in gender roles and that needs to be put on the table openly.

If you expect your girlfriend to be submissive in bed and you want to be the breadwinner, nothing wrong with that but both people need to enjoy their part in their relationship and it should be agreed upon before both parties end up being disappointed.

Personally, I place value on equal effort and distribution of chores or tasks based on equality/fairness, talent and suitability - not gender. If you're the girl in a straight relationship and you hear a weird noise but you're the buff one or trained in martial arts and your boyfriend is not, why should he be the one to take a look - just because it is expected of him?

That's my approach for pretty much everything in relationships.

6. Are your platonic relationships just as valuable as romantic or family ones?

Most of my relationships have some sort of sexual or romantic component. I flirt with pretty much everyone I know, it's just who I am and it's a way for me to connect and have fun. In that way I think I do place equal value on platonic and romantic relationships.

As for family connections - no. I don't automatically place more value on our relationship just because you're family. I either like you and you add to my quality of life or you don't. Simple.

12. Do you have the feeling you’ve lost something you might have had in another life - whether it be a person, a place, a world, a language, etc.?

Not really. I do feel a sort of world weariness, however. Some people feel like such young souls, like they see everything for the first time and are excited to explore everything and they have so much energy and thirst for life. I don't have that - I feel like I've lived too many lives already and I'm tired and whilst I'm trying to enjoy my life and the time I have left to the fullest, I also hope that reincarnation is not a thing because I have no wish to return.

24. Do you think you really understand your gender and sexuality?

I consider myself a cis bisexual woman but I don't really place a lot of value on labels and I don't need them to feel comfortable. I go with the flow.

54. Can human really understand the complete nature of the universe, space and time?

I seriously doubt it. Science always prides itself on its unchanging principles and equations and rules - if it comes down to it, I doubt we actually know anything about the world and it would be hubris to think we do.

56. What do you think about artificial intelligence?

Anything programmed by humans is flawed and potentially dangerous. Cool concept, however. In theory.

57. Do you thinks humans are obsessed with escapism (books, video games, movies, etc.)? Are you looking for an escape? Do you think that’s a bad thing?

I think life would be impossible to endure without any kind of escapism. I also count sleep among escapisms - it's a temporary relief from the world, as is art, as are drugs. I think it's all good in moderation.

100. What belief do you have that isn’t logically grounded, but you still firmly believe in?

I don't know, astrology? It is logically grounded to me in the sense that I've analyzed people and charts for a long time and the correlation isn't easy to refute. As a logically driven person, I always say it shouldn't make sense but it does. That's all I've got on this - I don't have any beliefs per se.

Thank you very much for asking, darling! <333

[Source]

[oumakokichi]

Do you think that Kokichi had any remorse for Gonta during trial 4 or did he actually not care? I've seen a lot of people saying different opinions from both sides of the argument. But I'm really confused because there was a moment where after Gonta was executed, correct me if I'm wrong but Shuichi asked Kokichi if he could reveal the secret of the outside world (?) But Kokichi replied with something like “I don't want to....” and seemed generally upset? But then a few moments later he snapped out if it and began acting like he had no sympathy whatsoever. I just really wanna know how Kokichi actually, truly felt about Gonta and if he regretted manipulating him. Sorry if you've already been asked this and have already given an answer, thank you!

Hi anon—I actually wrote a pretty big master-post on chapter 4 not too long ago which I think more or less sums up my thoughts on Ouma’s behavior in the post-trial! You can find it here if you want (it’s pretty long and I tried to answer a whole bunch of questions about Ouma in chapter 4 specifically, since it’s the chapter I get asked about the most).

More specifically though, I’m afraid that there is no easy, definitive answer to that question. I can only share my personal opinions about how I believe Ouma felt in that scene. And personally? I do think he was genuinely upset and distraught about Gonta’s death, that he even momentarily considered giving up all his plans and being executed alongside him, and that he cared about Gonta and deeply regretted using him as a sacrificial pawn in his plans.

I’ll discuss what I mean in more detail, but it’ll probably get pretty long, so I’ll put the rest of this post under a cut as always!

The thing is, though, I’ve shared my personal thoughts about the chapter 4 post trial many times, including my reasoning and all of the textual evidence that shows how much Ouma cared about the rest of his classmates. But ultimately, there will probably always be some people who disagree, because their reading of the text will always be a little bit different. Unless we ever have an interview from Kodaka in the future where he directly says, “this is what Ouma was thinking and feeling at this exact moment,” there really won’t ever be a way to know what was going through his head with 100% certainty (and I do feel like leaving it open-ended is something of Kodaka’s intention, anyway, especially since Ouma is supposed to be a very polarizing character).

That being said, I do think it’s worth analyzing the text and drawing your own conclusions, because ndrv3 is a game that changes a lot depending on how you interpret it, and Ouma’s character is included in that. It’s really easy on a first playthrough to get wrapped up in what Ouma says or does without really looking at why he says it, or at his underlying motivations. Going back through the game on a replay though, I do personally think it’s possible to guess at what he might have been feeling during those super conflicting scenes in chapter 4.

In my opinion, I think Ouma did truly care about Gonta as a friend, and that his guilt and remorse over what he did was genuine. Not only did Ouma and DICE have a very strict taboo against killing (mentioned directly in his motive video in Japanese, though the part about it being an actual rule was stripped from the localization), but we don’t see Ouma’s façade crack like this very often. Most of the time when he does his trademark “crocodile tears,” it’s with his very loud, exaggerated crying sprite, and he bounces right back to acting normally within a moment or two.

There are a few exceptions to this, of course—he uses the “crocodile tears” sprite to cry at Kaede, Amami, and Toujou’s deaths, but it’s still very likely he was shaken up by seeing them dead). Nonetheless, we don’t see his much more subdued crying sprites more than a handful of times, particularly in the chapter 4 post-trial just before Gonta’s execution, as well as in Momota’s flashback in chapter 5 when he talks about how Ouma actually hated the killing game the whole time.

I’m aware that some people simply brush these moments aside and assume that Ouma is lying though all of them, but I personally just can’t agree with that interpretation. Assuming that Ouma is lying whenever he shows remorse or guilt or hatred for the killing game means assuming that he’s telling the truth in pretty much every other scene—which doesn’t make much sense, given that his entire character is centered around the concept of lying, as well as moral ambiguity and subverting expectations. Assuming that Ouma actually means what he’s saying 100% of the time unless it just happens to involve showing any kind of guilt or remorse turns him into a very boring, predictable, uninspired character (none of which are words I would use to describe him personally).

Ignoring those moments where Ouma shows genuine attachment to his classmates and distaste for the killing game also means ignoring several key pieces of evidence and clues about him that we are directly provided in the game, including his motive video and Momota’s flashback in chapter 5. Personally, I don’t feel like there’s any reason to include these scenes at all unless it’s to help shed light on Ouma’s motivations and provide players with a clear reason to try and go back through the game again to look at Ouma’s actions through a new perspective.

I also feel that Ouma genuinely cared about Gonta because to put it simply, there was no incentive for him to lie in that scene. He got absolutely nothing out of it—and considering he turns around and starts playing the villain on purpose all of 5 minutes after Gonta’s death, he definitely wasn’t trying to earn sympathy points or trick the rest of his classmates into trusting him. In fact, he could’ve easily tried to make himself look more sympathetic by putting all of the blame on Miu for trying to kill him, or even on Gonta. But instead he fully admits to coming up with the plan to kill Miu and spends the entire post-trial trying to convince everyone not to hate or blame Gonta.

If he was truly as sadistic and horrible as he pretended to be, I think he would’ve pulled a 180 and started throwing names and insults around while Gonta was still alive to hear it, not after he was already dead. If he didn’t care at all about Gonta’s feelings, he had no reason to try and take all the blame on himself while insisting that none of what happened was actually Gonta’s fault. If anything, revealing himself to be this horrible, evil villain who enjoys seeing other people suffer or die would’ve really been adding insult to injury, and probably would’ve crushed Gonta completely, even before his execution started.

But… Ouma doesn’t do any of this. Despite having every opportunity to either portray himself as more of a victim and fling all the blame on Miu and Gonta, or else to completely embrace being a villain who loved seeing people suffer, he doesn’t do either of these things. The way I personally see it, Ouma waits until Gonta is already dead, and when the rest of his classmates begin pushing him for answers about the outside world and demanding to know what Gonta saw, that’s when he finally snaps and resigns himself to acting like a villain in order to make everyone hated.

You could argue that trying to make everyone hate him had a twofold effect: it helped set the stage for him to pretend to be the ringleader in the next chapter, which he clearly wanted, but it also was a way of taking things out on himself and shows just a small glimpse of how much he hated having to dirty his hands in chapter 4. After all, Ouma even says it himself: that the “role of a villain is perfect for him,” because he’s already made everyone hate him. We see Ouma occasionally tease or antagonize the rest of his classmates plenty of times throughout the game, but it’s true that he doesn’t really step into that “villain” role until the end of chapter 4, once he’s crossed a line that he can never come back from by manipulating both Miu and Gonta to their deaths.

None of this is to say that what Ouma did to Gonta is okay, by any means. I think he definitely did care about Gonta and even thought of him as one of the few trustworthy people in the killing game, even someone close to a friend, but that doesn’t mean that manipulating him and using him like a chess piece was okay in the end. I just also think it’s important to realize that there were plenty of extenuating circumstances that led Ouma to act the way he did—including the fact tha he knew Miu was going to kill him, that he already suspected she had measures to prevent him from fighting back or killing her himself in the VR world, and the fact that he did not want to die or get everyone else killed in the trial.

It’s possible for people to care about others without necessarily treating them the best or doing the right thing. A huge part of Danganronpa, something that’s been evident from the very first game, is that sometimes characters can and do hurt each other, even when they care about each other or wouldn’t be a threat otherwise.

It’s the existence of the killing game itself that causes so many characters to go to extremes that they normally wouldn’t, whether it’s Maizono trying to frame Naegi in dr1 despite caring about him a lot, Kaede deciding to try and commit murder under everyone’s noses despite trying to unite the group and wanting everyone to trust her, or Ouma using Gonta as a pawn to kill Miu in his place because he didn’t want to die.

At the end of the day, people are still probably going to have very polarizing opinions about Ouma and the things he did in chapter 4, and that’s honestly okay. In my own opinion, Ouma definitely isn’t a completely flawless, innocent baby who “did nothing wrong”—he absolutely is manipulative, cold, and calculating when he wants to be, and it’s a fact that he got two people killed, even if he didn’t want things to reach that point. But I also personally don’t think it’s fair to write him off as the exact kind of “evil villain” he pretends to be; not only is it a shortsighted interpretation of his larger motivations, but it also completely ignores any replay value and completely shoots down the appeal of trying to interpret Ouma’s thoughts and actions because “he was lying about feeling bad anyway, what’s the point in analyzing him.”

Tl;dr: I do think Ouma cares about Gonta, that he probably even thought of him as the closest thing he had to a friend in the killing game, and that what he did to Gonta in the end wasn’t okay. I think he really did respect Gonta for being such a sweet and kind person, but that he also knew Gonta was extremely naïve and that he would be one of the easiest people in their group to manipulate, hence why he decided to rely on him instead of anyone else. Their friendship is an important part of both of their character arcs, but it’s definitely not what I would call “on equal footing.”

I understand why Ouma’s actions might make some people really resent him, but I also believe that kneejerk reaction of anger and dismissal is exactly the point: Ouma does feel terrible about the things he did, but he doesn’t want anyone’s sympathy or forgiveness, not even the player’s. This, in my opinion, is why he starts embracing the villain role so completely from this point on, and why he’s never quite able to make the same sort of cold, calculating sacrifices in chapter 5 that he did in chapter 4.

I hope this helps answer your question, anon, along with the other chapter 4 post I wrote! Thank you for all your support!

[neoheros]

— happy pride everybody!!! i’m gonna be going on a semi hiatus since i’ve been seeing writing as more of a chore rather than a hobby lately. june is an important month for me and i really want to take time to treat myself correctly! i’m probably gonna come back every once in a while when i feel like writing but other than that please don’t feel ignored !!

— i’m gonna be linking down below my favorite writers and pieces that deserve recognition and love because the way they write just absolutely stuns me!!

works i’d give a limb to read again for the first time because of the way it was written !!

sensitive by @writingbakery : tamaki amajiki x reader, smut — this stole my heart, when i say that i reread it over and over again because it just dripped in emotion and talent !!

the baby-sitters club by @kiyasuno : iwaizumi hajime x reader, fluff — this was the first thing i read from rosie and it absolutely stole my heart. she wrote it so well and i still take the time to reread when i’m feeling down !!

jealous boys with a s/o as a cheerleader by @volleychumps : akaashi, kuroo, kageyama, iwaizumi x reader, fluff — i loved reading this so much, it had me laughing and smiling so fricken hard !! the content was a 100/10 !!

sidekick by @jackrrabbit : dabi, shigaraki x reader, smut — uhm reading this was an actual ride like holy crap thank you for the butterflies ?? ahahahaha i will have dreams about this for weeks !! the way this was written stole my heart too like omfg ????

antisocial socialites by @plusultrawritings : todoroki x reader, fluff — i am a simp for the entire concept of this and honestly when i reread it to analyze the writing i? my heart. it’s yours now. you wrote this !! so WELL !!

giggling while kissing hcs by @cutietobio : yamaguchi, tsukishima, kageyama, kuroo, lev x reader, fluff/suggestive — i LOVED reading this so fricken much !!! this was so fun and happy and yet so adorable at the same time ?? chefs kisses for you madame !

at arrival by @heroprose : katsuki bakugo x reader, fluff — THIS OMFGWISJ i’m really fricken sure that this is still my favorite piece to have ever read ??? i just love how xue wrote this and i’ve fallen for every letter that she types. talent at its finest !!!!!

tiktok au by @burnedbyshoto : bakugo x reader, fluff — two things; the content and the way it was written !! i sound like a broken record but holy crap, this was written so well and so beautifully ?? the content itself is a chefs kiss on its own but i’m a sucker for well written hcs and !!! you served !!!

kenma as a boyfriend hcs by @babiekeiji : kenma kozume x reader, fluff — probably one of the firsts i’ve read when i started stabbing haikyuu and oh my god ?? i still get butterflies when i think about it !! it’s so pretty and soft !!

boy, do i wanna take you home by @shoutotodorokiisicyhot : aizawa x reader, fluff — i fell in LOVE when i read this like first of all the way you worded it was already heartwarming enough but then the content itself made me fall for aizawa even more !!

impossible year by @bokunokangae : tamaki amajiki x reader, fluff — this made me feel on a different level ??? the sentences ?? the simplicity ????? holy ???? written in a way that’s been engraved in my heart because it is just so fricken beautiful !!

writers who made me fall in love with every word that they type

@dorkyama — remy’s got a way with words that make everything she writes an absolute wonder to read ! her content has always been a personal favorite and i will never forget how talented she is when it comes to structuring sentences !!

@kozukens — mui’s an actual dream. when i tell you that she can turn anything into something beautiful and poetic, i mean it ! her writing sends chills down my spine almost always and it’s just so gorgeously written that it assures you of how pretty her mind must be.

@kiyasuno — rosie’s way of writing has always entrapped me in a way where i’m left in awe ?? she can deliver an entire story with such elegance that you’re gonna want to reread the entire thing over and over again ?? that is raw talent.

@heroprose — xue has mastered the art of simplicity and elegance ! she inspired me to make this blog and every letter that she types will always make me shudder because her writing has a knack of being so beautiful that it sends chills down my spine. i adore every single one of her works !!

@jojosmilktea — jojo is so talented especially in ways where she wants to convey the story in the most beautiful sentences. her tamaki content will always be the ones i choose to reread when i’m sad and it’ll always hit different because !!! it’s so beautiful ???

@chenle — ANNA OMFG ,, hi i don’t think you know since i changed my user since then but i’m the one who told you that my friend and i would discuss your works on a daily because it’s just so amazing ??? your writing has got me through some shit and i will always idolize the way you write since it’s just so fricken pretty !!

@wakaitoshi — kale’s writing is so gorgeous, i can’t think of another word to describe it. she’s mixed her sentences with elegance and beauty that it’ll encase you in how well written it is !!

@haikyuu-ink — yuki’s way of writing drips of emotion and gentleness? in a way, i think that it’s best to read her stuff when you want to feel, she’s the best in that area!

@babiedeku — marianne has the prettiest pass time drabbles in the world. they’re mixed with funny and fluffy dialogues that i’ll always adore!!

@lceiji — rae is my go to for akaashi fics and she never fails on serving !!! truly one of my favorites since her style of writing has always left me breathless !!!

@lcaita — kai has my favorite long shots and they’re the ones i save to read when i’m all snuggled up in bed ! her talent lies in the way she describes scenarios in detail and it always leaves me awestruck !

@k-nma — li just started out writing but her akaashi post has rendered me amazed !! the way she has a direct flow in sentences and word use makes my heart flutter and the content itself was a dream !!

@hqprotectionsquad — lara’s content has always been 100/10 ! she writes for both bnha and haikyuu and everything she puts out just gets me head over heels !! talent !!!

@kenmagi — riza’s entire blog is just so gorgeous, i’m always in awe of it ! her writing is simple and direct to the point but she delivers it with such cuteness, my heart flutters !!

@kaidasen — liz’s range goes from amazingly structured long fics to comedic and funny fake texts !! whatever she puts out is always enough to get me smiling !!

@t-amajiki — gere’s my go to for nsfw fics !!! she’s so talented in means of capturing the readers attention and giving them butterflies !!! it’s a talent and honey, she is dripping in it !!

@starboybokuto — zade is as elite as it can get !! i love her nsfw hcs, they always get butterflies in my tummy and when i tell you that she’s basically mastered it by now, i mean it !! she’s the standard for a well written nsfw fic and i stand by that !

@b0kuto — emi’s writing drips of emotion and the best part is that you can tell !! her content is riddled with feelings and poetry and i’ve always enjoyed going through them especially when the day i had felt in need of something missing.

@agaassi — aera has the fluffiest headcanons in the world pleaseee!! her works were made for softness and they always leave me smiling !!! it’s just so precious and adorable and ahhh <3

@prettysetter — rin’s writing is so fricken !!! PRETTY !!! she writes so simply and yet you see how much emotion she conveys ????? i love love reading through her works because they always get me catching feelings !! chefs kiss !!!!

@tsutsukki — aster’s writing is so !! FRICKEN !! delicious !!!!! she writes with so much intention yet delivers with utmost direct simplicity ?? she’s an absolute dream to read about !!

lovely content creators that i’m looking forward to binging because everything about their account and personality just scream talent ♡

@miyuswriting — bro i’m sorry but like i’ve been eyeing your masterlist for a while and i’m so excited to indulge in it cause i already read one of your stuff and the way you write just made me feel things !!!

@sushij1ma — i read your shoto fic and it just :( absolutely stoke my heart and made it do things !!! i’m so excited for what more you’re gonna offer and i just know that it’s gonna be a fucking DELICACY !

@gogohaikyuu — hiii, your masterlist looks delicious and i read snippets of your kuroo stuff because kuroo and i ?? want you to know that you made me catch FEELINGS ??? the talent !!!!

@indigohitoshi — babie !! i’ve only read few of your stuff and i can’t wait to indulge myself in them but from the little amount of what i’ve read from you it is no doubt that you are so talented :( i love how you spin words and sentences !! it’s so beautiful !

@daichoo — i read your dating headcanons and the way you wrote for kuroo ??? i ??? hello, i have feelings ??? your writing is just an entire level of chefs kiss and i can’t wait to binge your masterlist !! ( but fr dude the kuroo bit in your hcs got me in love >:/ )

@tobiosbabie — soo !!!! the way you wrote that tsukishima fic has stolen my heart and you have yet to return it !! expect me in your notifs soon because i can’t resist binging your entire blog since you just write so !! fricken beautifully !!

@jayy-keii — i love your content so fricken much, words will never be enough !! as a fellow swiftie and tsukki stan, i am sure when i say that your entire blog is dripping in both beauty and talent ??? holy crap dude :0

@wisteriarain — you have the prettiest blog :( i’m so into how you write that whenever i’m feeling down, your work is the first to come to mind !! the day you write for kuroo is the day i crumble to the ground ! please you’re so :( talented !!!!

@tobiomlk — YOUR DRABBLES ARE SO !! PERFECT !! i can’t wait to read more of them and honestly ?? i don’t really read smaus but yours just !!! captured me ???? chefs kiss x300

@tiny-giant — YOUR KUROO HC GOT ME ON THE GROUND. are you kidding me? right in front of my salad? you write so prettily and the entire time i read it i was squealing and shouting like?? please i cannot wait to burn through your blog, i’m just so in love !!!!!

@towkken — bro i know you’re not a writing blog but i am obsessed with your art ???? it is — fricken gorgeous !!!! your style is so pretty and it’s unlike any i’ve seen and omfg ?? never stop ??????

@sugawaria — another art account that doesn’t get enough hype and recognition !!! please you have one of the prettiest art i’ve ever seen !! i could stare at it all day and my heart would explode !!! you’re so talented it’s unreal !!!

the actual love of my life/s that deserve nothing but adoration and gratitude because they’re the kindest people on earth.

@iwhyzuumi — i love you. that’s it. you’re so fucking gorgeous and kind and i love you forever ! no words head empty !

@kuroowuwu — you’re my favorite kuroo stannie to share headcanons with :( you’re so kind and precious and warm ?? ugh kuroo is too lucky to have you !!!

@spicyness — i’m so sorry i’m the worst at holding conversations but omfg i adore you ???? you’ve got the prettiest content on my feed and i can’t believe that you’re my friend :( you’re so kind i can’t even start !!!!

@we-mentally-unstable — thank you for the eternal support :( you can’t imagine how much i adore you for keeping up with what i write !!!

@milkykageyama — i ADORE YOU ?? flat out. you can’t even fathom how much i appreciate you :( thank you so much for every note you’ve given me and ugh i just want to hug you :((

@saltedcaramelsss — winnie !! you’re my absolute best friend !! i’m so lucky to have someone like you and i’m sorry that i suck at replying so much :( i just want you to know that i love you and i’m so grateful for the love you give me !!

this was definitely longer than i expected but everyone i mentioned above has been a personal idol of mine and i’m thankful to be mutuals with some of them !! please give them the same amount of love and kindness you’ve given me and i cannot thank you enough for getting me this far !!

thank you for 1.5k and i’ll see you when i see you ! happy pride month everyone ! spread love and kindness !! ♡

[ghouladventures]

Real Writing Advice

I just thought I’d share some of the tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years in regards to writing. I am by no means an expert, but I’ve been writing screenplays (at least attempting to) and fanfics/short stories for around 7+ ish years and I have definitely learned a lot from my mistakes. I’m partially making this post to combat some of my own imposter syndrome, and motivate me to work on a script I’ve been avoiding. This is just advice from my own experience, not a bunch of regurgitated stuff from the internet. 

“Write what you know” (stay with me on this!)

I know, you’ve heard this before a million times. But that’s because it’s true. I’d like to extend more on this idea though because it’s often overlooked due to how vague it is. 

To me, “write what you know” means taking your life, your experience and putting it into the story. Nobody else will ever have your exact life experience, so use material from your own life. DO NOT worry about it being done a million times, because I can assure you, if you do it your own way, it will end up being unique. 

WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING. As a comedy writer, it can be really hard to create funny situations/dialogue out of thin air. But observation is the key to comedy and writing in general. Anything funny I hear, a story that happens to me or a friend, I have a strong opinion about something, etc. I write it all down. Your phone is right there, open the notes and write it down because you WILL end up forgetting it. I cannot tell you how much effort I have saved because I have a whole bunch of notes that are just pure material. 

Character writing is very difficult for me, as I always end up making characters that are just like me. In fanfics I end up projecting myself onto the characters hella, and I only notice during the re-reads. But...you’re the only one to reference. You ARE the main character of your life, so it’s only natural. What I do to create characters is look within. Make a character who personifies the person you want to be, the type of person you hate, the type of person you crush on, a character that shares a flaw with you, who you feel like inside vs. outside, etc. Make a list if you want, as many things you can think of. Share a piece of yourself with every character, your own experience adds a realness that can’t be replicated through research. DO NOT be afraid of flaws! Flaws are the absolute best thing you can give to a character. The character has to overcome these internal flaws to get where they want to, so don’t shy away from character flaws! 

Enjoy Writing! 

Too many times it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of writing. Making sure your story is cohesive and engaging, and trying to juggle a million things at once is HARD. Writing is hard. But please have fun, I beg of you. 

If you love a certain movie, watch it, analyze and learn why! Don’t copy the entire movie, but take things that you really love and put it into your own story. Great artists steal. You love a certain plot point, character element, message, dynamic, etc., find a way to incorporate those things you love into your work. 

Put yourself in the audiences shoes. Create the type of movies you love watching, the type of movies that cause you to jump into a fandom! Once you find out why you love the stories you do, you start getting excited about your story. For me, doing this has taken the negative connotation of “working” on a script away that I often can’t get away from my notepad. You start getting excited to write, and while that passion unfortunately dies down, keep finding reasons to be excited about your story. 

Play around with genre. Tell a story from a different perspective. Add that element you thought was “too weird” to add. Don’t shut down ideas that seem too self indulgent or ridiculous, it might just lead to something. The screen/page is your place to play! Try something new, test it out. Do not be afraid to “fail” because your just brainstorming! Failure doesn’t really exist, it’s just testing and trying things until you find gold. You have a whole page of just scribbled nonsense? So what! Everything is part of the process. Stop beating yourself up before you even start. 

Vibes are important

A lot of times I have no story ideas, but I want to make a movie like ______. But hey, vibes are a start! Maybe you just have a few scenes in mind, a color scheme, etc. If that’s what’s bouncing around your head, start writing them down! From there you can start connecting dots. Throw in a character you’ve been working on. Basically all of my stories start out as “just vibes”, so don’t dismiss them. 

When I’m starting a new project, I’ll make a playlist of music. Not music that will be part of the soundtrack necessarily, but just music that relates to my idea. I take soundtracks from other movies and just put them all in a pile, throw it on shuffle, and write. It makes everything 100% more fun and engaging, and having the music match the “vibe” helps immensely with creating the vision. 

Like making a playlist, I make a pinterest board filled with just everything related to my idea. Aesthetics, character looks, locations, etc. This helps me really create a vision of what I want this movie to be. Not the story, not the plot. 

Your Brain, Your Process

There is no correct way to create anything. When I was starting out, I would read and watch a lot of “advice” and “screenwriting process” stuff. While I felt like I was gaining knowledge, it really only made me feel like I didn’t know what I was doing. 

USE YOUR STRENGTHS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. So your visual? Great! Make little idea bubbles, make a venn diagram, use a story circle, draw lines connecting ideas, use a punnett square, etc. Maybe you’re really good at writing fanfictions but not screenplays. Great! Write your scenes out like fanfictions before formatting them like a script. Just some examples but my point is, use the skills you already have. This makes it so much easier, it takes away the daunting feeling of writing and allows you to progress. 

Find writers you look up to and learn from them! One of my favorite writers is Dan Harmon, so I looked up writing advice from Dan Harmon and found a bunch of advice that was extremely useful to me (highly recommended for visual people). Look up the writers to your favorite movies/shows/books, and see what you find! You’d be surprised how much extremely useful information is out there if you look. Learn from the people you look up to, the writers you want to be. I keep little notebooks and write notes (like i’m in class), of everything I learn, and when I need some help, I whip out my little notebook and find some advice, it has helped me get un-stuck countless times. Over time, the concepts you learn will become more instinctual, making writing easier. 

It takes time. This is my biggest problem. I will work on a movie for a few months, then get bored and desert it. But look at any movie, if you see any storyboard or “first draft” type of stuff. It’s like a completely different movie! Great things take time, you don’t have to speedrun a whole script. Just keep working on it, it will take a long time, but it will be worth it. 

I hope that was helpful to some of you writers out there! 

[talesofafangirlwithadvr]

October/November Picks

Long time no see! So...it’s been a little bit since I’ve posted a wrap up. I had all intentions of posting one after October, but then you know life gets ahead of you and before you know it it’s Thanksgiving. Not much has changed in my viewing habits for these past two months, so I thought I’d group them together for a mega wrap up. Hope you enjoy :)

Without further ado here come some spoilers.....

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SECRET SOCIETY OF SECOND BORN ROYALS

This Disney + original movie was one of my highly anticipated watches for the fall. I am disappointed to share that it was a let down. The concept was such a cool and creative one. Having the second born in a royal family not simply be the “spare” but be the protector...with superpowers! (In a very YA way, getting their powers at a specific age.) They just should have gone about the story in a better way. I wanted more time with them learning about the powers and to make the villain stronger. Overall the acting wasn’t bad (which is good for a Disney + original), but it was just lacking. The movie was LONG and yet much did not feel like it happened. It was cool seeing Casa Loma (the castle they filmed at) as I was just there two summers ago. Sadly, I will not be watching this movie again.  

VIOLETTA SEASON 3

We all already know how pumped I was when season 3 of Violetta was released on Disney Plus in September. I couldn’t believe it after waiting so long for the second season. I really enjoyed the beginning of this season and knew we would be headed down a road where I would grow tired of the storylines. 

We have hit that point. 

Quick Violetta rant. Things I am done with:

Roxy and Fausta plot

Fran and Diego being a secret

Herman and Priscilla

Pablo not at the studio

Milton being evil

Ludmilla lying

Recently, my sister is catching up to where I am in the season, so this has pushed me to watch more. I am on episode 43 and some of the above venting has been solved, so that is super exciting. I am finding myself wanting to watch it more now, so fingers crossed it continues to get better. 

JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS

Kenny Ortega has done it again! When I first heard the premise for this show and watched the trailer on Netflix I wasn’t too sure. Then both of my sisters watched it and they wouldn’t stop talking about it, so that was a sign that I needed to watch it. Since then, I have watched the show twice and can’t stop listening to the music. THIS. SHOW. :) I get the hype. It’s just so wholesome and feel good. The characters are well crafted and the episodes go way too fast. They are the kind of characters (and cast) that make you wish you were a part of the show. I can’t wait for the next season (because there better be one). Definitely add this one to your list if it’s not on their already. 

THE OUTPOST

The Summer CW shows were pushed to the fall line up due to delays in filming of the originally planned shows. I hope this means that they’re getting a little more love this year. The Outpost deserves it, as it is currently in its third season. (I think it might have gotten a little more now that the 100 is over and the commercial aired during the 100′s last season. Maybe people heard Black-blood and decided to give it a go.) This season has seen a new threat and during the first eight episodes there’s been MANY twists and turns, making it hard for me to remember how this season started. There’s been a lot of unrest in the Outpost and changes in who is in charge. While there are some unnecessary plot-lines (like that Tobin had to be married), I’m really enjoying others. Like how important Janzo is, his relationship with Ren, more Munt and that TALON AND GARRETT FINALLY GOT TOGETHER!!! It makes me so happy and is what we deserve after these three seasons. I love how strong both of their characters are and how they are both Warriors. I hope the season ends strong. 

PANDORA

Just like The Outpost, Pandora was originally a Summer CW show that is now airing its second season. I really enjoyed the first season (like more than I was expecting), so I went in with higher hopes for this new season. Unfortunately, I have been let down so far. With the first season, there were parts that left me confused and my biggest review of this show has always been how there were gaps or moments where I didn’t know how much time had gone by. Those kind of things I could overlook, but this season the overall plot just seems weaker. I think this in part because of so many new characters. I know a lot of the season 1 cast ended their characters’ plots away from the Academy, but I wasn’t expecting them not to be a part of this season’s story. That has been a difficult adjustment. I also feel like I only understand Jax’s story and not so much about the other government/rebellion points. It’s getting a little better, but I hope it gets to be more enjoyable. 

THE SPANISH PRINCESS--SEASON 2

When I originally was creating this list I had just started this season, and felt completely different than I do right now. I just finished this season last week. Much like my above review on Pandora, The Spanish Princess wasn’t sucking me in. I had a few episodes gather on the DVR. Then once we hit episode 3 or 4 and more drama was starting/Henry was starting to show glimpses of the Henry VIII we all know, I was growing more interested. In season 2 of the Spanish Princess, we do not see a loving Catherine and Henry for long. Problems Catherine have in conceiving a boy (male heir) are one of the main focal points, as is Woolsey’s growing influence on the king. With several sub-plots this season, I specifically enjoyed learning more about Meg in Scotland (as a big Mary Queen of Scots/Reign fan, I liked seeing a portrayal of her grandmother) as well as Princess Mary Tudor (who I was unfamiliar with. I loved her and Charlie Brandon’s relationship and wish we could have gotten more.) Each week I watched this show, I found myself Googling a lot. That is always one of my favorite parts of watching a historical drama based on true events. I know right now it looks like the producers aren’t continuing with the Tudor line and might have a different part of history as their next show, but I wish they would. I’m feeling the call to watch the Tudors as it’s on Netflix and I haven’t seen it before. I want to learn more about his wives. 

BLOWN AWAY

In a complete shift from a period piece, here is another Netflix show I thoroughly enjoyed watching last month. Do you find the act of glass blowing to be extremely interesting, but you would never dream of trying yourself? Or do you like competition game shows that are not like anything else you’ve watched before? Then Blown Away might be for you! It’s a very fast watch with only a handful of episodes that are about a half hour a piece. (I honestly wished they were a bit longer because it was SO GOOD!) Each contestant is a glass blower and they get to show off their skills by competing in a specific challenge. Each episode you see someone get eliminated until the final where the winner gets a residency at Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York. This show came out in 2019 and I am hoping a second season comes out.   

LIFE IN PIECES

This CBS comedy was one that I remember loving when it first came out. But I only remember watching the first season because then I couldn’t remember which day it was on. (It’s going to sound weird, but because I don’t watch a lot on this network I often forget it exists. We also only had a one room DVR at the time, so we couldn’t tape more than 2 things. Oh, the joys of multi-room DVR). After I finished my re-watch of Derry Girls in September, I was looking for another sitcom to re-watch. This was when I stumbled on the full series of Life in Pieces on Amazon video. (It’s free to watch with Prime.) I was so surprised to see there were 4 seasons! Since then I have been watching a good amount of episodes when I sit down to watch it. Now I’m about mid way in the second season. I highly recommend this show if you haven’t seen it before. It gives vibes of Modern Family. Very short episodes that include four storylines. The format is one that I haven’t seen done before in a sitcom.

SUPERMARKET SWEEP

The revival of the beloved game show from the early 90s is now hosted by Leslie Johns and is the best thing you should be watching on Sunday nights. If you know your grocery shopping list like the back of your hand then you are all set for this show. Leslie Johns is hilarious as are the cast of characters that are regulars in her supermarket. I think it would be a great TV show to be on and I’m not just saying that because I want one of the sweatshirts (although that would be great). If you want (another) feel-good watch, look no further! You catch up on demand. 

RE-WATCHING

ANNE WITH AN E

It’s hard to believe that we only got the third season of Anne with an E at the beginning of this year (as this year feels like its been going on forever and when I watched the third season I was in a much less stressed place). Currently, I am teaching a class involving Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. The main focus is on how these stories get adapted in recent times and include such modern plots (and sub-plots). Naturally Anne with an E is perfect for this topic (and after watching season 3 at the start of the year) was one of my major reasons for choosing this topic. (The other being Greta Gerwig’s latest Little Women.) As I’ve been planning my schedule, I’ve re-watched this show. There is something so great about watching it from season 1 all the way through to season 3. You get to watch them grow up and it’s crazy to see how young they first were. Comparing it more to the novel has been a fun time, but also analyzing it more has been great and made me appreciate it even more. With all the stress of our current situation watching this show has made me escape and feel good. (Yes, I know I’ve used that word a lot in this wrap up, but it’s true.)

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Hopefully my next wrap up isn’t as delayed. Wishing everyone a happy holiday season! 

[ctl-yuejie]

Finally managed to add the translation for the second actor interview from the showing of Long Time No See at the Seoul Pride Film Festival

Disclaimer: This translation got a bit messy and I am not 100% content with it , but the video went unsubbed so here you go. I really liked and enjoyed his answers, especially the process of him creating Gitae and the behind the scenes info on the kissing and sex scenes were pretty interesting. Enjoy!

(You can find the translation with time stamps in the comments of the linked video)

YSH: Hello, I’m Yeon Seung-ho, who plays the role of „Wild Dog“. I’ve seen the movie for the second time today and while I do not know how everyone else has perceived it, it has been the product of hard work from the actors, the director and staff members, so I'd like to advertise it having that in mind.

(Conversation with the LTNS audience at the 7th Seoul Pride Film Festival -Actor Yeon Seungho-)

MC: Since the work is noir while also being a queer movie and you have to both use your body well and act emotionally, it must have seemed like a difficult role after receiving the script.

Question:  - Wasn't it difficult to transform into “Wild Dog” for the play? -

YSH: First of all, because I had to show totally different looks, I acted a little bit brighter in the beginning, and I don’t know if it was noticeable, but I thought that I had to be cuter and more flirty. In fact, the question was whether to break that bright character gradually over time, or to break it at once. However, with such a concept, in my case, I wanted to go the unexpected way and break that bright image at once and appealed to the director to do it that way. The director understood that, so I tried to act it out in that way.

Question: -How was the action scene shooting? -

YSH: I actually got hit more often than I expected, and since I wore short sleeves, shooting the action scenes meant that I got many bruises on my arms.

MC: If you don’t calculate correctly, you might get hit for real...

YSH: That’s why you might see some bruises on my arms earlier on. My lips got hurt constantly and our first and second shoots were actions scenes. It was very difficult for us to try and not get each other hurt. In my case, one action scene didn’t get used.

MC: That must be disappointing as an actor.

YSH: Yes, it just didn’t get used.

Question:  - What emotions did you face in order to act out same sex love -

YSH: You might know this, but we had more skin ship scenes than expected. In the original work there are only few kisses and hardly any skinship scenes.  Later on, we also did more adlibs. What used to get communicated by talking, turned into something happening between us and us falling in love. And as we were being in love and as conflict started to develop, just thinking about what normal people in love would do, we went with the flow.  When ordinary couples are together with just the two of them they feel like they want to kiss. Like the scene at the train tracks, we express the naturalness in those parts, and try to show a little bit the everyday as a homosexual person. Rather than showing who is different in those parts, we hoped to illuminate daily love, so I tried to use more of my skills and make an effort to make it seem as if Chisu was my first love, even if I don’t know if I succeeded in that.

MC: When you shoot kissing scenes or love scenes it must feel strange in the beginning and you might not know how to express yourself, but once you shoot it two times, three times and you get more comfortable, you might start to play around a bit. Did something like that happen?

YSH: To be honest, as I said earlier, we were at a point where we could do adlibs for skinship scenes, so I it was easier to do kissing scenes. When we shot the love scene it was my first time.  Not in real life though.

MC: I thought you might say that it was your first in real life, so I fretted where to tell you to lie, that’s why I said it like that.

YSH:It wasn’t my first time in real life, it was my first time shooting a love scene.

MC: With another sex or same sex, it was your first love scene.

YSH: It was my first time doing such a scene.

MC humorous: It was obvious that you got angry at me insinuating you were lying.* I am sorry. 

YSH: Thinking about how the love scenes should go, how and what I should prepare, there was nothing I could prepare.  I was going to do it, but instead of thinking about how the love scene would look like, Woo Seok Hyung’s breathing was very heavy (laughs) and I always minded about my shaving. It was really prickly. Usually, I can do what I’m told, but since there were these experiences it’s like a realized something new.

Question:  - Why did “Wild Dog” become a killer? -

YSH: In the original work there wasn’t a particular reason given as to why he became a killer, so I analyzed the character myself and when I created the character I thought about me and my sister’s relationship as “Wild Dog” and I got a little bit informed by how close we were and how we were living. 

Both our parents aren’t there anymore, my sister has raised me lovingly and even if the situation at home wasn’t as difficult, we are not living in abundance, so “Wild Dog” always seems to feel guilty about that.  I feel sorry for my sister so I do whatever I am asked to.  The only parts of my childhood shown in the movie is what happened at around the third year of high school, but my sister also understood what had happened without any words.  Even so, while I said that I love my family, there was a time where “Wild Dog” wandered around, and must have become twisted during that time.  People in the dark meet shady people so while I lived my normal days with my sister, if there was a need I worked as a killer.  It comes out in Taesan Seonbaenim’s (black panther) line as well: “I need a killer without a face”. Because of that I looked at the original work, took those parts together and created “Wild Dog” as a character who had lived such a live.

In the original work there are many parts where there is strong messaging.

It is a bit philosophic, but I chose this project because it is a movie concerning human rights -  or more particularly- it is a movie including a message about LGBTI people. Once many people watch it, I hope that they will focus on those parts when doing so.

In the future, as an actor, I will see you soon with other works and show you good appearances.

Thank you very much.

*„거짓말이라고 화낼 뻔 했어요.“ 03:28-03:30

This one threw me for a loop tbh and is the biggest reason I took so long. I think this is what the emcee meant by that. Their banter during this part was silly, so I think it does fit in context but I am not 100% sure.

[the-cookie-of-doom]

Good morning! Whats your favorite show/movie? Who are your favorite characters? Why do you like them so much? Also!! Did you have a good sleep?

Okay so I was a film major for a while, and I have opinions. 

Penny Dreadful 

I love this show. Like, so much. I adore it. I can not get enough of that show. Just all of the imagery, and the fantastic writing and acting. The episode intro alone is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Eva Green is a goddess and I love everything she’s been in. The take on classic horror stories is So Good, and it actually became the inspiration for my Gay Frankenstein story! (Started as a stitch AU, and then went completely OC after I had Ideas) but the show itself is so intimate? I think it’s largely that the period they’re in, everything was so repressed and restricted. So when the characters break out of those moments, it’s more meaningful. And the love-hate relationship between Ms. Ives and Malcolm in season one? Exquisite.  I could literally write essay’s about this show, but I’ll restrain myself and just say: it’s the best ensemble show I’ve ever seen. The characters come together, but they also each have their own distinct lives that sometimes intersect, but in s2 especially, are quite separate. They are constant with one another like ensemble shows usually portray. Also gothic horror and romance? My absolute favorite. 

Anything by Guillermo del Toro

This man Owns My Entire Soul. I’m not even joking, everything he writes and directs is perfection. Crimson Peak is probably my favorite (I have a stitch AU for this too ;) ) because again, Gothic horror and romance. I’m a slut for that shit. Also Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain? Delightful casting. I think it’s obvious by now that I love tragic relationships, so their dynamic is *chef’s kiss* amazing. they’re so damaged. And this quote right here is one of the BEST things I’ve ever read: 

“But the horror... The horror was for love. The things we do for love like this are ugly, mad, full of sweat and regret. This love burns you and maims you and twists you inside out. It is a monstrous love and it makes monsters of us all.”

Engrave that on my headstone, please?? I’ve got a sort-of Dorian Gray AU (it’s delightful) that’s basically built on this entire premise. Mitch makes the mistake of falling in love with Stiles, and does many terrible things because of it. Mostly to himself, at least. 

I think my love of Crimson Peak is very closely tied with The Shape of Water. another beautiful movie, I could wax poetic about this forever. it was beautifully written, and such an artistic movie. I love the way it was filmed, and the set design, and all of the subtle imagery. Such as Elisa’s apartment being cast in cooler tones, it always felt very damp and had evidence of water damage, compared to Giles’, a mirror image of her own, in more warm tones. This is another one I could (and have) write essays about. There is so much packed into this movie, from the themes on toxic masculinity and entitlement, to the conversation on queerness and race and disability, and how all the various relationships are portrayed. Like. there is so much to pick apart in this movie. 

Aside from that, ofc Hell Boy deserves an honorable mention because i grew up on those movies. I’m pretty sure the Golden Army especially is responsible for who I am today, given all the lore on the fae in that universe. Wow, that explains so much about me... Also one of my first WoW characters was an elf named Nuala xD I still have her, too, and it’s been like 12 years lol

Near-Future Sci-Fi

Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres, I am a huge nerd for theoretical and astrophysics. But my favorite kind of sci-fi is the stuff that still takes place on Earth, rather than epic battles in space. Ex Machina and Annihilation are at the top of that list. Alex Garland is another writer/director that I love. He has the same kind of approach as del Toro, where he puts a lot of fine details into his work. And I love that it’s very cerebral; there are so many layers to Ex Machina. My English 101 prof actually refused to analyze it in class when I suggested it to him, because he didn’t think my class could. Basically handle? Dissecting that movie? Because a lot of it comes across as very surface level, but in some cases when you look deeper, it’s actually suggesting the opposite of what you might think at first glance. (And he was right, my fellow students were awful. I miss that class though, it was one of my favorites T_T Mr. Ryder was an awesome dude and super chill.) 

Morgan is another good example. As you can see, I fucking love androids lol. Which brings me to another of my all time favorite movies: Cloud Atlas. I could literally watch this movie endlessly, I love it so much. The acting, the writing, the filming, all of it is top notch. And one thing they did in the movie that didn’t come across in the book, was reusing the same actors through the different eras in the book. That was just so neat, because it really encapsulates how connected these souls are, as we follow the threads of their story throughout time. If you haven’t seen the movie, I can’t recommend it enough.  

Another one I always think of alongside Cloud Atlas, even though they aren’t related at all, is Predestination. It’s a great movie that explores the idea of fate and free will in a really clever way, utilizes time travel in a very organized way that I think was neat (think Umbrella Academy. They even use briefcases! As you can see, I love sci-fi bureaucracy, it’s fun. In fact The Bureau is another movie I enjoyed) and the main character is actually, explicitly trans, which was cool. You basically get to see the entire story of their life, and I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s just. So good. Mindfuckery galore. 

Shoot, and I almost forgot! Arrival! That is one of the best movies, and another one I could watch nonstop. It focuses on mathematics and linguistics and I swear to god, I almost altered my entire college course because of this movie. Amy Addams is brilliant, Jeremy Renner is so soft and nerdy, and again, it has an amazing take on time travel. I am very particular about how time is handled in Sci-fi, and this portrayal was one of my favorite. (Most of my physics studies have been dedicated to the theory of time, so like. Strong Opinions.) 

Fantasy

Stardust! It wasn’t until Good Omens can out that I realized Neil Gaiman is responsible for most of the stories I loved as a kid lol, and I had no idea he wrote stardust! But that is such a beautiful movie (I have a Stardust AU lol) and it’s definitely one of my comfort movies. Captain Shakespeare is one of the best characters ever, bless Robert de Niro. I would die for him. Fun fact, i had no idea Ipswitch was a real place until like. 2019. I 100% thought it was made up for the movie 😂

Alongside Stardust, I’ve always loved The Golden Compass. It’s fantasy, but also with that old-timey steampunk science feel, which is so fun and surprisingly difficult to find! 

Mortal Engines also has the same kind of feel, and it was such an epic movie in every sense of the word. I’m a little sad that after all the work that went into it, it didn’t get a dedicated following or fan base, because I feel there’s so much potential in it. But at the same time, fandom tends to gather around media that has plenty of flaws for us to repair with gold, and there wasn’t much room for that in Mortal Engines. 

I’m going to put Jupiter Ascending here even though it technically fits with the sci-fi, because that section is long as fuck and also this movie has such a fantastic feel. Mila Kunis? beautiful. The CGI? beautiful. Eddy Redmayne? One of the best villain portrayals i’ve ever seen. The whole oedipal vibe he had was immaculate, as was their portrayal of reincarnation, and just. The world building. GOD. I get so weak for through world building. Also the fkn intergalactic bureaucracy when they’re basically at the space DMV? One of my all time favorite scenes in movie history. 

Horror

I have very little room in my life for horror. As I said, I have strong movie opinions, especially when it comes to horror movies. I don’t like how most of them rely on cheap jump scares and overused gore and gratuitous rape scenes, instead of, y'know, actual good writing. 

Which is EXACTLY why I adore It: Chapter 1 & 2. It has none of those things, but still manages to be so terrifying. They are my favorite horror movies, and I’m saying this as someone who has genuine childhood trauma bc of the novel. Like. I couldn’t shower/take baths alone until I was almost 10 T_T When I was 6-7 and saw kids play by storm drains, I would run over screaming about how Pennywise was going to get them. Like, I had issues man. I was terrified to see the first one, and wouldn’t go until I could go with my best friend after she had already seen it, so she could warn me when something scary was about to happen 😂

And, one of my favorite aspects of the movie, and the thing that gave me Mad Respect for Any Muschietti? The way he filmed Bev and her father. They have a character who is literally being molested, but they never once have to show it. And yet their interactions are still so viscerally upsetting to watch. Sexploitation puts me off of most horror, and the fact that Muschietti doesn’t use it here, even when it would be actually somewhat justified? *chef’s kiss*. I love him. 

I love horror as a concept, I’m just really picky about it because I expect the writing to be good. I don’t like short cuts. But in a lot of cases, even if I don’t enjoy the movie itself, I love to watch analysis videos on youtube! I love to see the philosophy and symbolism in different horror movies, even if i don’t like to watch the movies themselves. It’s a fun hobby. 

Misc. 

Then in general, some other stuff I love in no particular order:

The Internship (Bless Dylan, Stuart is such a bitch and I love him) 

American Assassin (ofc. The writing itself is eh, but Mitch is my man) 

Dylan’s episode of Weird City. (I actually have a lot of feelings about this one. Jordan Peele is another amazing writer/director, I really need to catch up on his works.) 

Dorian Gray (*chef’s kiss*)

Rogue One (Makes me cry every time) 

WARCRAFT (Obviously this is a fav. It made me so happy, words cannot express.) 

Coraline and most other stop motion animation. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for that. 

Literally anything associated with Tim Burton. Fun fact, when I was 12 and in middle school, I planned to decorate my future house inspired by tim burton. Like, i had Plans. 

Most adaptations of Alice in Wonderland!

So! this got long as fuck! But you said you like that kind of thing lol 😂 I had kinda Eh sleep since I was up so late lmao, and I kept waking up (as usual, rip). And I’m so mad I go up for nothing! The dude I was supposed to show my listing to never showed, and is refusing to answer my calls >_> It’s been 2 hours now, and I still haven’t heard from him. But whatever, I already have a full price cash offer on the house so who cares. And that means I can play WoW all day, now! 

[janiedean]

I feel so frustrated, I mean.. I read so many bullsh*ts around and I'd like to know your opinion. I think that making a villain sympathetic through their backstory is not *insert bad action* apology. I'm so tired of people trying to make me feel guilty just because I think 100% of times a bad person is not born bad but turned into a monster because of a lot of reasons. It's dehumanizing to consider someone bad without taking into account their past. There's always a reason in the past, even if a villain looks like they're enjoying doing bad things. It's sad and something to be compassionate to that a person find enjoyable hurting others because something in their past made them reach the point where they think hurting others is acceptable or even the only way out

eh I... agree with you on all accounts but again this is... the ultimate reaping the sows of this idiotic attitude cool motive still murder in fandom everywhere lately which like, some times it could be a fair objection to... people not owning up to their favorite being actually an asshole (and even then it would be valid just if they’re harassing you), but most times it started like that and turned into AH IF YOU JUSTIFY BAD DUDE’S BACKSTORY OR EXPLAIN IT THEN YOU EXCUSE HIM, which like.... shows at least some things:

a complete lack of being able to analyze a story going outside the ‘good guys vs bad guys scheme’ which is why I really wish people stopped consuming only media aimed for ages from fourteen under because that’s not going to do anything to help you

refuse to consider the fact that what happens to anyone in life shapes them negatively or positively but negatively is... a... thing, thus falling back on the usual calvinist bullshit of either you’re good or you’re bad and the best thing you can do to redeem yourself is dying to help someone else, which again.... the world doesn’t work like that

a complete refusal of actually trying to understand how trauma and abuse works because like cool motive still murder for someone you don’t like 99,9% of the times translates in the good victim vs bad victim dynamic, which in turn basically translates into ‘if you’re an abuse victim/you have trauma but you don’t react in The Appropriate Way or don’t fit the Good Victim points then your trauma/abuse isn’t valid’, which like... sorry but all victims of trauma/abuse are valid in that sense and you can’t write off someone just because they didn’t react the way you think they should

(which then usually means that they treat fans of problematic character who might in their turn have trauma etc in the same way and like... lol no)

now, thing is, one thing is fiction and another is real life - in real life if someone hurts you and they’re a shit person and they have exceedingly good reasons to be but they’re still a shit person you don’t have to be in contact with them and if they don’t get their shit together even moreso (or if they try to and reach out for help you can accept to or not), but when it comes to fiction the point is: it’s up to the damned author.

like, one thing that people don’t get is that obviously fictional bad actions are not happening in real life and a narrative is usually built to either redeem the person committing them or not, but if they want to, then... that character will be redeemed and there’s like nothing the reader can object. now, like... I mean if this ask isn’t about b*n solo I’ll eat my hat but if it’s not let’s just take him as the poster child example for this entire bullshit trend: ofc if you kill your father irl you go to jail, but since star wars is a SPACE OPERA where real life world consequences don’t exist and patricide is a literary device since the history of ever (GREEK TRAGEDY FFS) to symbolize freeing yourself from your roots and needing to find yourself and so on, the act of ben killing han in itself means shit narratively beyond telling you that ben has ISSUES that made him go to the dark side and that he’s conflicted, and in the moment that someone is conflicted you already should see he’s a decent person or has the potential to be. now, ofc ben solo did an amount of exactly not kosher things and is a shit at declaring his feelings and has issues, but the point is: if the sw sequels (as bad as the overall narrative eventually was) wanted him to be conflicted and then do the right thing (reconciling himself with his parents ahahahahah HAN FORGAVE HIM LIKE.. XDD) then they want you to see him as a human being who made mistakes but then could still do the right thing. the fact that he died after bc they couldn’t commit to one damned side and do a sensed story doesn’t matter, but the concept of ‘he did x y and z fictionally so BAD’ is stupid bc x y and z never happened irl and you can choose to forgive a fictional character because he’s fictional, and a lot of people who are ‘’bad victims’’ or not poster children for trauma management actually do find hope in seeing characters like that getting another chance. because guess what, catharsis through fiction. like guys I realized I could actually not settle for someone out of fear of not ever finding anyone the moment I realized why I was into jb that much, someone else can find catharsis in bensolo being redeemed or whatever and people refusing to see it can’t engage with an adult-driven story (and not even for children bc a lot of media for children has bad guys who turn good).

and in that sense like.... I mean personally if I see a character like that I don’t even count them as villain bc I know they won’t eventually be (like I didn’t consider bensolo a bad guy since... ever) and for me villains are 95% of the time just people who are assholes without redeeming qualities that the author doesn’t care for redeeming even if they explain why they’re like that (see instances c. lannister for one I hate and randall flagg for one I actually love) so I have troubles like.... seeing them as bad guys (I mean the... supposed one from luke cage s2? for me went from vague villain to antagonist the moment they exposed his backstory lmao) and idg this mindset but personally I just hope fandom goes back on the ‘you do realize you can like antagonists without being a bad person for relating to them’ train because this entire mindset is just... fucking... tiring.

[missfay49]

Sanders Sides Theory 01/15/20

You want a long theory? HERE’s A LONG FREAKIN THEORY.  

To build off an earlier post of mine here, I believe we can reverse engineer the function of the next Side by analyzing the roles of the current known Sides in the context of their correlating sin.  I’ve included some flower meanings based on the shirt release but couldn’t identify them all from the photos available.  Please reach out to me if you have identified all the flowers.

Pride!Logan

Logic / Craves Stability / Reaction to adversity is to Double down

Logan is proud, but not about just anything.  He values intelligence, critical thinking, and the lofty goals of exploration: re: the astronomy class hype, and “what really is at the bottom of the ocean?” He prides himself in being right 100% of the time and utilizes information to do so.  

When he missuses the word “infinitesimal” it is devastating to him.  It is brought up repeatedly in subsequent episodes and culminates in him feeling like one mistake will prevent him from ever being taken seriously again. He hates being wrong, because he believes that if he’s wrong, C!Thomas will literally fail at life, becoming destitute and homeless.  The stakes are real.  

He needs to ensure success, which is why he first pushes C!Thomas to pursue more traditional careers.  His arc is about accepting that success in life can take on different forms.

Sloth!Virgil

Anxiety (Paranoia) / Reaction to adversity is to Give up

Virgil is often seen promoting activities that would be considered lazy, i.e. going back to bed in the middle of the day, staying home when they could go out, doing less work, trying fewer new things.  His makeup is a dramatized symbol for lack of sleep.  There are multiple instances showing him reluctant to spend more time even just in the presence of the other Sides; “Now I’m gonna go be cool, somewhere else.”  Ducking out is the pinnacle of sloth.

But sloth as a behavior is just a symptom of the actual condition: social anxiety and mild paranoia. Check out my short paranoia theory here.  Virgil resorts to inaction as a defense against feeling insecure about something. Wanted to go to that party, but you’re too nervous to talk to new people?  Well, actually, just stay in.  It’s safer and you need your rest.  

That’s why Virgil’s arc is not about finding the motivation to do things; that would only work if laziness was the true problem.  Instead, his arc is about learning to think through fears and overcome them, so C!Thomas can do what he actually wants, which is to be more social.  

Gluttony!Patton

Morality / Flower: Blue Forget-me-not / Craves Community / Reaction to Adversity is to Fake-it-til-you-make-it

Patton is about cravings. Food, pets, friends; he wants it all. He’s about enjoying everything life has to offer, gosh-darn the consequences.  He wants friends so badly he’s consistently willing to sacrifice his own well-being to put them first.  The concept of morality often focuses on giving instead of receiving.  It’s a way to prove to them that he’s a good friend, and therefore worth keeping around.  What seems like sacrifice is actually a careful prioritization of his favorite thing to indulge in: acceptance.  Being happy all the time is not just a show for the other Sides, it’s for C!Thomas’ friends as well.  People don’t want to be around someone who’s sad, right?  Gotta be happy, so they stick around.  

Forget-me-nots are about happy memories and we already know Patton is a sucker for nostalgia.  One of his favorite things are memories, so he goes to extreme lengths to make lots of good memories with his friends.  Patton’s arc will ultimately be Not about diminishing his craving for friendship but realizing that he can be his most authentic self without losing them.  He can loosen the rules that he internalized.  Real friendship does not require perfection.  

Greed!Deceit

Self-Preservation / Flower: Yellow Sunflower / Reaction to adversity is Sowing Discord

Deceit, like Logan, is also focused on C!Thomas’ success.  The difference is, he could not care less what that success looks like, only that C!Thomas gets it.  Where Logan is all about careful planning and preparedness, Deceit is about taking risks and seizing opportunities.  How can C!Thomas get the most out of life?  No, don’t worry about other people.  There is only C!Thomas.  

Deceit’s objective is to eliminate the consequences of C!Thomas’ mistakes and increase the rewards for his effort.  He will do whatever it takes, whether that’s coaching C!Thomas to lie to others, or to be more honest with himself.  His stance is that since our society is built on lies, we should be willing to use lies to navigate it.  Deceit believes that if C!Thomas is honest to himself about what he wants, he’ll pursue it even at the risk of losing people along the way.  Simply put, Deceit must learn that no one makes it alone.  The sunflower symbolizes false riches, and this explains why Deceit’s assumption is wrong.  We all depend on others to reach our full potential, and a world where C!Thomas has gained everything by discarding or disadvantaging others is one C!Thomas wouldn’t want to live in.  It’s more difficult, but it’s worth it in the end to work with other people instead of around them.  

Lust!Roman

Creativity / Flower: Red Rose / Reaction to adversity is Denial

It’s easy to see that Roman is all about finding that special someone.  Red roses symbolize love.  He’s dashing, brave, and often combats mythical creatures, not for fun (although it is fun), but to prove his manliness to a potential mate!  But this Side is actually one of the most complicated. He believes himself to be the most handsome Side, and he better be, because it is his duty to secure the end-all-be-all of C!Thomas’ life: romantic love.  Someone to spend your life with, grow old with.  The initial conflict between Roman and Anxiety is entirely because having Anxiety around would theoretically lower his chances of securing a relationship.  Once he saw that Anxiety could do what needed to be done in “Accepting Anxiety”, he was able to let go of that worry.

But remember, Roman is also about Self-Love.  The creativity that he pumps out isn’t art for art’s sake; it’s to bring himself joy and to fill that hole in his heart with some kind of excitement.  If he can’t throw all his passion at a person, he’ll throw it onto the stage.  That’s why each time his work is criticized, he’s confronted with the fear that it’s all just a distraction anyway.  Yes, he is objectively good at acting and enjoys it, but part of C!Thomas uses all these creative projects to feel something he isn’t getting anywhere else.

The Roman angst dates aaaall the way back to the Valentine’s Day Episode, wherein C!Thomas decided that platonic love was important to acknowledge, too.  Roman had already stated in the first episode that he would focus on loving himself.  But maybe on that particular Valentine’s day, C!Thomas stopped trying so hard to find romance.  Maybe he fell back on what he already had, the love of his friends, and thought to himself, this could be enough.  And each time an opportunity to feel true passion comes up again, C!Thomas rejects it. First when trying to rekindle things with the ex-boyfriend, then with the big call-back.  C!Thomas is putting his love life on hold to deal with other things right now, and it’s wearing on Roman.  

The worst part is that it’s entirely possible, maybe even likely, that Roman (and therefore C!Thomas) isn’t sure what will happen once he’s found someone.  RE: Episode #1 – his greatest fear is rejection.  

In “Am I Original?” C!Thomas states that if he only ever listened to Roman, he would be setting himself up for heartbreak.  That’s why Roman makes the final ruling in the court room.  That’s why he quietly accepts it every time they make a decision away from love (with impromptu exceptions – “PICK IT UP!”).  He both wants and fears love at the same time.  Roman’s arc isn’t really about what he needs to do differently, but about what C!Thomas needs to let him do for himself.  His stories aren’t about him getting his way and then finding out he took it too far. They’re about him not getting anything at all.  Once he gets the green light from C!Thomas, he will do what he’s always done; Throw caution to the wind in the pursuit of love.  

Envy!Remus

Creativity / Flower: Green Dahlia / Reaction to adversity is Acting out for Attention

All the “Dark” Sides were pushed away for one reason or another, but it seems to hit Remus particularly hard.  It’s not fair that his brother should be chosen over him.  He considers himself not even just as good as Roman, but in many ways better at being creative!  His range is limitless, and he is confident in his abilities, unlike his brother.  He should be the main Creativity, not that crybaby!  

Remus tries over and over again to make C!Thomas notice him.  He gives everything he’s got into each new idea, hoping that this one will be ‘the one’ to earn him C!Thomas’ recognition, but it never does.  Remus embodies envy.  It is his driving force; ALL he wants is consideration for his ideas.  

Since Remus feels envious, C!Thomas does too.  If Remus wants to reach new heights of fame, so must C!Thomas!  From Remus’ standpoint, Roman isn’t getting the job done, so he’ll just have to keep throwing idea-after-horrifying-idea at C!Thomas until he gets through to the man.  

Wrath!X?

Now for the hard part: figuring out what’s missing.  (You can check out my earlier Anger Theory here.)

Let’s summarize how the other Sides use their traits real quick:

Logan is proud of his intelligence that he uses to gain financial security.

Virgil is slothful as a result of his desire to feel safe.

Patton is gluttonous as the result of his goal to make C!Thomas feel happiness and enjoy life in the moment.

Deceit is greedy as a result of his goal to help C!Thomas navigate this world and come out on top.

Roman is lustful as a result of his goal to secure a loving, stable relationship for C!Thomas.

Remus is envious as a result of his goal to get C!Thomas to make a lasting mark on the world like so many have before.

For most of the Sides, the sin is directly related to the Sides’ function.  It’s their method of achieving their goals.  But there appears to be an outlier.  Logan seems different.  He doesn’t need to be proud in order to be intelligent, at least on the surface.  But, maybe that’s not true.  Maybe if he didn’t feel proud when he learned new things, he would have no motivation to seek out information in the first place.  Therefore, pride is essential to Logan’s function.  

All the Sides rely on their sin to accomplish their goals.  They first have a goal, a job that they are supposed to complete for C!Thomas.  Then, the sin is their method of executing that job.  The function of the Side comes before the sin.  

So, if wrath is the means, what is the goal?  What does C!Thomas need to be angry about in order to accomplish it?

What are all the instances where we see C!Thomas (not the individual Sides) get mad, even a little?

TOAwLS - C!Thomas gets frustrated with Anxiety popping up even when nothing’s wrong.

TMvTH - C!Thomas gets mad at Logan and Patton for pelting him with conflicting goals.

GU - C!Thomas acts mad at Patton for dreaming too much, but really, he’s lashing out at Patton because the others are pushing him too far in the other direction.  

MOP2 - C!Thomas rudely disregards Logan for disrupting nostalgia-time.

SVS - C!Thomas gets mad at himself for considering lying to his friends.

If we’re being honest, this is a short list, and some of these don’t even really qualify as anger.  He’s more just kind of experiencing frustration as he works through things.  The most angry he gets is when it affects real people in his life; Lee and Mary Lee’s wedding.  He feels terrible about it, but he’s angry for two reasons here.  First, that the scheduling conflict even exists, because it’s denying him an important opportunity.  Second, because the situation caused him to confront a truth about himself that he’s never been comfortable with.

But we have one more example to work with; the Aside.  In ATHD? - C!Thomas got mad at Rico for past feelings that weren’t even specifically against C!Thomas.  We don’t see it, but we see the effects.  C!Thomas is so angry with himself for lashing out, and it tells us that he’s had a lot of anger before that he never released.  Anger about being in the closet when he was younger.  There are plenty of hints in the episode on this theme:

Roman calls C!Thomas a snowflake.

This shot from the movie: “You must learn to control it.  Fear will be your enemy.”

And most importantly, the lines “Don’t let them in, don’t let them see”.  Patton did purposely sing those lines of the Frozen song “Let it go”, which has often been correlated to coming out of the closet, because that was directly tied to the theme of the premier Aside.  

C!Thomas had so conditioned himself to defend his sexuality that even the mention of past prejudice was enough to set him off, causing him to overreact in the situation with Rico. He was transported back to a time when he was still closeted, afraid to come out because of people like Rico’s younger self.  Now that he’s older, he feels anger toward the people he knew back then, and he took that anger out on Rico.  

Let’s take a step back for a second.  What is C!Thomas’ ultimate goal for himself?  Balance. And what is C!Thomas’ ultimate goal for others?  Love and understanding.

C!Thomas got as angry as he did because this isn’t just about him anymore.  The prejudice that he remembered and was reacting to is something that people continue to face all the time.  As much as he struggled, he’s empathetic enough to know that others must be struggling, too, and his anger at Rico was actually anger at prejudice.  

When the last Side is revealed, it will signal that the arc is closing and the series will eventually be coming to an end.  Will the series have made its mark?  Way back in IIADS!!, Anxiety unintentionally suggested, “using your platform to positively affect your audience the same way Disney did with you”  It’s not just about C!Thomas anymore.  It’s about you.  Us.  

The biggest effect C!Thomas could have on his audience is self-actualization; becoming the most he can be and doing the most good for others that he possibly can.  Prejudice is an issue that has personally affected him and clearly affects his audience.  Fighting prejudice is a cause worth getting angry about, WORTH showing a little wrath.

Logan and Virgil have affected how C!Thomas takes in information.  Deceit and Patton affect how he moves through that world.  Roman and Remus affect how he wants his work to be seen on a personal level.  But Wrath will be how C!Thomas affects the world at large.  Wrath will lead the charge for affecting real change.  Wrath will close out the series and launch a generation of inspired viewers to go out into their own worlds and fight for their freedoms.  Wrath will be our hero.

~

Thanks so much for reading! This has gone on long enough, so I’m adding some bonus theories in the links below tomorrow with other things I noticed during the research for this post.  Hope you enjoyed it!

Bonus Theory now here!

Bonus BONUS Theory now here!