#what does punishment solve that prevention doesn't?

[jochi-the-veristithaylen-baker]

No one should be punished for loving millions of fonts.

In fact;

No one should be punished. No one.

One of the most important things to unpack and unlearn when you’re part of a white supremacy saturated society (i.e. the global north) and especially if you were raised in an intensified form of it (evangelicism, right wing politics, explicit racism) is the urge to punish and take revenge.

It manifests in our lives all the time and it is inherently destructive. It makes relationships and interactions adversarial for no good reason. It undermines cooperation and good civic order. It worsens some types of crime. It creates trauma, especially in children.

Imagine approaching unexpected or unacceptable behavior from a perspective of "how can this be stopped, and prevented" instead of "you’re going to regret this!”

Imagine dealing with a problem or conflict from the perspective of “how can this be solved in a way that is just and restorative” instead of “the people who caused this are going to pay.”

How much would that change you? How much would that have changed for you?

[sabiartrin]

Sandor, my beloved character of the series!

I have been attached to this character for years. He vividly portrays an innocent curious soul, charmed by romance and chivalry, and then so brutally maimed by cruelty and roughness.

He has no mercy for himself; he literally allows others to call him a dog, harbors hatred towards the world and himself, towards his childhood dreams that never came true. If he couldn't receive love and compassion in his childhood, then he'll have to convince himself that he never needed it anyway.

Sandor's father had a choice, he could have punished Gregor, but he didn't. Thus, he made it clear to Sandor that strength solves everything, and his feelings don't matter. His pain and loss of face don't matter to the closest person, to his father. If he couldn't get understanding and sympathy from his father, why would he expect it from anyone else in the world?

Oops, Sansa!

Of course, he mocks Sansa because she mirrors his inner child, maimed, crying, devoted, and misunderstood by everyone.

BUT! Sansa broke through that long-hardened shell. She brought him to tears. She broke something in him, an impenetrable stone cracked, and now something can grow from it. Deep inside, he doesn't lose faith in the goodness in this world, that's why he saved Sansa, that's why he cried. In the end, he managed to turn his principles upside down and send the Lannisters to hell, although before, his service to them was the only thing that kept him in this uncertain balance and prevented him from completely succumbing to self-deprecation or destroying himself over Gregor Clegane. He realized that care, sympathy, and love don't look like what the Lannisters showed him, like what his father and his people showed him.

He realized that things can be different.

Why does he call himself a dog?

Loyalty. Honesty. Sincerity. His ancestors' dogs gave their lives for their master. True knights acts similar in songs. They sacrifice themselves for a higher goals, for their lord, for their beloved woman. In my opinion, some part of Sandor still dreams of chivalry, of this fairy-tale chivalry that exists only in songs and in the minds of young girls.

But since the cruel world has so desecrated the concept of "chivalry," he gave it a less glamorous name, somewhat derogatory, because that part of him that tries to protect his inner child from even greater horrors deliberately mocks his love for knights and makes him hate this concept... It's simple, but at the same time catchy, simple but aggressive.

The Loyal Hound.

...and it still reflecting the essence of what both Sansa and Sandor crave.

[number1villainstan]

okay so in this post I talked about the dichotomies of good/evil and male/female and how they're at work in ohtori (and specifically wrt to saionji), and i sorted it into like a four-chambered table with Good Masculinity (prince), Good Femininity (princess), Bad Masculinity (unnamed in the show), Bad Femininity (witch), and while i think that sort of thing can still be useful in looking at how characters are treated both by other characters and by the narrative i don't think that's how the show approaches it anymore. like--witch doesn't just mean 'Bad Femininity', and there's a reason why Bad Masculinity isn't named. lemme try to explain

in the kashira players' tale of the rose, it's stated outright that a 'witch' is what happens when a princess isn't saved--when there's no prince around to save her, or when that prince isn't one that can try to save her for whatever reason, or when the prince fails to save her. like--what's termed as "good" in ohtori is a) the separation of 'man' and 'woman' into two separate, mutually-exclusive, and all-encompassing categories and b) a specific set of relations between these two categories, at least outside the context of the family: boys are 'princes', the active role, and girls are 'princesses', the passive role--'princesses' are beset by some terrible-but-temporary circumstance, doesn't really matter what, and 'princes' come in and solve their problems (and presumably get 'romance' as a reward). the 'witch' is also a role defined in relation to this setup--it's what happens when the prince fails to save the princess, or more accurately when the princess fails to be saved; it's the evil result of a failure of this system of "good". in other words, although one could argue the fault lies with the prince (the man), the punishment falls almost entirely onto the woman.

but if the 'witch' is a failed princess, then what is a failed prince? does such a thing exist under this system, or is the prince forever doomed to princehood? the most prominent example of what could be considered a 'failed prince' is akio*, who's currently in charge of running ohtori as Acting Chairman; looking at it through the lens of character motivation, it's obvious why the question of 'failed prince' is shoved to the wayside for so much of the narrative, while the concept of 'witch' is spotlighted and the girl(s) who take on this role are scapegoated so hard. but looking at it through only the lens of character motivation would ignore the thematic aspect of rgu, and this is a post about a thematic aspect of rgu. this 'failed prince' we see is...still a prince, actually, at least in some sense--akio puts on a show of attempting to reclaim the power of dios, even if he doesn't seem to actually want it. the scene of anthy and dios as children in the barn seems to suggest that what makes dios a 'failed prince' is that he was "bested by a witch", or rather that the 'witch' figure (Anthy) was seen preventing him from going out to save princesses and fulfill his purpose as a prince. but the prince is still considered a prince.

the second example we see is utena in the finale, stabbed through by anthy, lying helpless on the floor, her sword in the hands of akio (the OG failed prince). yet again, we see a prince being "bested by a witch", although in this case the witch is also the princess--utena is there, after all, to save anthy, and yet anthy is still the one to stab her in the back. in a sense, anthy is re-affirming her own witch-hood in this scene; in the very moment that she bars utena from saving her (as a princess) she becomes the witch yet again**. it is, ironically, a replication of this very same setup within a fight against the systems that maintain that setup. but utena stays a prince after she's "bested by a witch", even if she is a failed prince. she only becomes not a prince once she hauls herself up again without her sword to free anthy--she only becomes not a prince once she abandons the fight and turns her attention from fighting the system to helping its foremost victim, because in this act she stops engaging with the prince/princess setup and the related systems as a whole, and thus cannot be classified under those systems anymore.

and then we arrive at the rest of the student council. is miki a failed prince? he doesn't give up at being a prince. is juri a failed prince? she's the most distant from the dueling games, and yet she still participates. is touga a failed prince? he tried to make utena his princess, but failed in the end to defeat her in a ploy to keep her from the duel called revolution. is nanami a failed prince? she doesn't try to save anyone, not really--in fact, she's the one most ready to break rules and question things. and yet none of them really strike me as 'failed princes' in the way i'm thinking of it--miki still plays the role of prince like he's supposed to, as does touga, and juri and nanami operate outside of this framework even if they're held to it.

but finally: is saionji a failed prince? this one is more complicated. i still think of saionji's position within the narrative and social structure of Ohtori as the answer to "what's the male version of a witch?" he has several moments of seeing past the illusions of Ohtori (e.g. calling the castle a mirage in episode 1), but he still operates inside this framework of 'princes save princesses'...except. he's not cast as the prince. instead, he's cast (when we first see him) as the monster, as the thing the prince is saving the princess from. if witches attack princes, what's attacking princesses? is this our answer to 'what is the failed prince'? and yet he is also not just the monster--once he is defeated, he instead becomes the clown. he still poses a threat, and yet whenever he doesn't he's a laughingstock. this is the last evolution of the 'failed prince', the fate for any man who cannot at least appear to be doing the required things to be a prince, or who fails in an unacceptable way. a prince being "bested by a witch" garners sympathy--the witch is there to draw the ire and derision of the spectators. a prince being bested by another prince, on the other hand, becomes a laughingstock--the ire and derision of the spectators, forced to choose between two princes, focus on the 'lesser' prince. the 'failed' prince.

so: a failed princess is doomed to be a witch; a failed prince is doomed to be a clown.

*there's certainly something to be said, although i'm not sure what (or if I'm the one to say it), about how the most prominent figures of 'failed princess' and 'failed prince' in the entire show are the only two darker-skinned characters in the entire show.

**not because, necessarily, anthy likes being a witch--it's much more plausible that she did what she did because these systems of prince, princess and witch were all she knew, and that she was scared of stepping into the unknown, until utena reached out to her and gave her enough faith in other people and in herself to overcome her fear.

[i-guess-im-into-this-now]

The Apothecary Diaries

S1E4 First Watch

Here's where I watch The Apothecary Diaries for the first time and give my thoughts, analysis, predictions, and occasionally I stumble into a joke.

My character/place cheat sheet

Lady Lihua - the sick concubine

Crystal Pavilion - Lady Lihua's abode

Jade Pavilion - Lady Gyokuyou's abode

Xiaolan - a servant friend of Maomao's

Oh snap. So that person who visited at the end of the last episode was THE EMPEROR. I don't like that Maomao is on his radar. I'm going to go ahead and blame Jinshi for this.

Lady Lihua is unwell and since Maomao is now a famous apothecary she is tasked with healing her. It's not something she can refuse or afford to fail at, though Lady Lihua's own ladies are making it challenging.

They don't trust Maomao, and so they prevent her from treating Lady Lihua, however shortsighted that may be. First of all they prevent their lady from getting better by denying her Maomao's care, second, they undermine the emperor's will. Maomao is going to be forced to deal with palace politics before she can treat her patient.

It is weird how the emperor approached Maomao. He could have summoned her to meet him anywhere, or simply passed down a command. He chose to go to the Jade Pavilion and meet Maomao face-to-face and in front of Lady Gyokuyou. It's as if he doesn't know or doesn't care about harem politics. I'm guessing that he does though. I bet he knows exactly what he's doing, even if Maomao and I don't.

I do not like his interest in Maomao.

Jinshi has come to help Maomao gain access to Lady Lihua so she can diagnose and treat her. He is so unnerving sometimes. When he notices the other ladies watching he rushes up on Maomao (is he trying to start rumors?) and whispers the following:

If it helps, I can come inside.

Which sounds... I mean, it's probably just the way it translated... I'm sure it's just me...

But Maomao looks like she nearly barfed on him! Which is probably the highlight of Jinshi's day.

The ladies comply when faced with the full power of Jinshi's smile (one lady literally fainted). Maomao comments:

Scary how women can change so quickly.

Jinshi knows the effect he has on women, but looks to Maomao after she says it, maybe wondering for the hundredth time how to get his charm to work on Maomao.

Side bar. This show is ALL about what is happening between Maomao and Jinshi. This is where the tension is, and it's where the story is happening. What happens between these two characters will have an effect on every other plotline and supporting character. If it seems like I spend too much time watching and analyzing this relationship, it's because I believe it to be the heart of the show.

Maomao! Holy shit Maomao! Goddamn if that wasn't the most lady boss thing I've ever seen!

Shall I even try to describe this scene? I'll never do this badassery justice, but its worth reviewing anyway.

She solves the mystery immediately, which, of course, and she's so far passed pissed off. When she realizes what's happened she growls in anger. She contains her rage only long enough to confirm who is responsible before slapping the lady across the face!

Lady: What is wrong with you!

Maomao: Me? Just punishing an idiot, clearly.

Friends. I am breathless. I think I gasped and then held it to the end of the scene.

Maomao dumps the poisonous powder on the lady's head. She then lays out in no uncertain terms what the poison does to one's body. Maomao is grappling to accept just how stupid this lady is, nearly shaking as she is incandescent with rage.

She slaps the woman again this time smearing the poisonous powder on her face while she screams:

You think she wants to be adorned in the poison that killed her son?!

The woman finally breaks down crying and Maomao is done with her. She takes charge and starts barking orders to the other ladies who are so terrified that they don't even think about disobeying.

Jinshi looks like he's just had a religious experience, but manages to pull out the perfect callback:

Scary how women can change so quickly.

God I love this character.

Facing Jinshi, Maomao comes back to herself. The ramifications of what she has done start to set in. I don't know if there will be fallout from the Crystal Pavilion from her bossing around Lady Lihua's ladies. I suspect they aren't going to broadcast what happened because they are criminally liable for poisoning their the concubine and also because this story makes them lose all face. Plus, Maomao is saving Lady Lihua's life. Regardless, I am confident that having Jinshi there to witness it all, will have consequences.

Dutiful Maomao then fully assumes control of Lady Lihua's care and commands the ladies with an iron fist. She can hardly tolerate the incompetency that has been standard in this pavilion. It really is a curse to be the smartest person in the room.

Jinshi: You're looking tired.

Maomao: Thanks. Unlike someone, I have been busy.

This is now what passes for a casual greeting between these two.

Jinshi, playfully, but probably sincerely, acknowledging Maomao's hard work; offering her validation, and implied appreciation. Maomao coming back with sarcasm and a playful barb. And they are both are getting exactly what they want from the other. Maomao appreciates that her hard work and skills are being acknowledged and Jinshi loves that someone is casual enough with him to tease him. I suspect he gets none of that any where else. She's may be the only one in his life who treats him like a regular person instead of a prince palace manager.

You can see each of them becoming more comfortable with each other as they learn where the lines lie. They are leaning how to give and take and discovering the ways the other prefers to be treated. Furthermore, instead of using those discoveries to push the other away or discourage them, they are giving the other what they want and inviting them to come closer.

Friends! These two are flirting!

And if that ain't proof enough, Jinshi Gaoshun gives Maomao some steamed buns and she thinks the following:

He knows the way to a girl's heart! It's the considerate guys like him who become good husbands. Too bad he's a eunuch.

So food is Maomao's love language. Same Maomao, same. But maybe don't try to be quite so transparent in front of Jinshi, he will use this against you.

Maomao is thinking of Gaoshun here but for what it's worth, it is Jinshi who knows the way to a girl's heart. He's been figuring out Maomao for a few episodes already, hence why she is receiving steamed buns from Gaoshun. He knows the food will cheer her up, but not if it come from him. Which is why Gaoshun is the one handing it over, even though he said the gift is from both of them.

Maomao interprets the gift in the way that lets her best enjoy the buns. And though she isn't admitting it, she is aware who the gift is really from, and might want to do some introspection on what she just thought about the gift giver.

Jinshi is offering to help Maomao. Whatever she wants. And he's turned the charm all the way up. Like, with all the sparkles ✨. I don't know if Maomao is totally immune to it, but it's not as effective as Jinshi would like. He hasn't abandoned the sultry look method yet. I wonder if he will just keep trying to see if anything shifts. In the meantime, it's far from his only tool of seduction.

His offer of help is good. Maomao of course won't take advantage of this for her own means, but if she can use Jinshi's help to treat her patient? Sold. Jinshi is happy to comply and win points with Maomao in return. I don't think Maomao totally trusts his altruism though. She tries to justify herself by saying:

We have to use whatever we have in this life.

And Maomao's efforts do pay off. Lady Lihua begins to recover. Eventually, Maomao is able to depart from the Crystal Pavilion. But not before collapsing in exhaustion, and having Lady Lihua gently stroke her head. Perhaps Lady Lihua is grateful and will become a support to Maomao in the future? Or at least give her some consideration while engaging in palace politics. Maybe try to mitigate the danger that could fall to Maomao. We shall see.

Maomao has so far had a positive impact on the people she interacts with. She saved Lady Gyokuyou and her baby, supports the ladies in the Jade Pavilion, assists the palace doctor, has solved multiple mysteries for Jinshi, not mention just generally brightens his day, and now has saved the life of Lady Lihua. She's too good at what she does, and too lovable not to charm everyone around her. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Surely there are some in the palace who feel very differently about Maomao. For now she's still gaining allies.

And nice. Maomao is offering courtesan tricks to the emperor's concubine. Maomao is helping break down class lines one sex technique at a time!

I like what she told Lady Lihua:

There are hundreds, if not thousands of flowers in the world. Comparing a peony to a bellflower is pointless. Who has the right to judge which is more beautiful.

After which, she immediately compares her own body to Lady Lihua's, recognizing Lady Lihua's "magnificent" "assets." I wonder which of her own assets Maomao acknowledges. Does she consider herself to be a beautiful flower too?

Maomao returns to the Jade Pavilion and is warmly welcomed by the ladies in waiting who instantly worry over her. Which, as I've said before, I love. Maomao is always willing to sacrifice herself for others. She did it this time for Lady Lihua, by working herself to exhaustion. The ladies at Jade Pavilion notice that she's lost weight while she's been gone, and acknowledge how hard it must have been to be at the other pavilion. Maomao is so good at caring for others and absolute shit at caring for herself. Luckily, now she has people who look out for her, and care about her well-being.

Jinshi is privately very proud of Maomao. He credits her with completing the emperor's mission all on her own, which... she did not. Lady Lihua would have died if Jinshi hadn't stepped in to help Maomao gain access to her patient. Still good on him for recognizing her hard work and skill. Now tell it to her face.

I guess the point in showing him thinking of it here rather than saying it, is to let us, the viewers, know that he is sincere. When he compliments Maomao he does it a little playfully, and she can never be too sure if he is just messing with her or if he is in earnest.

Also, Gaoshun sees exactly what is happening between Jinshi and Maomao, even if the two of them don't recognize it yet.

And the set up for next episode's mystery of the week is cursed hands. Cool.

If you like this kind of thing, let me know! For some reason I've committed myself to blogging this whole show. It's a little hard because, while I enjoy this and I get a whole lot more out of the story this way, I am also deeply intrigued at this point and tempted to just binge the rest.

If you want to start from the beginning of these reviews:

Episode 1

Next episode

Episode 5

[kyouka-supremacy]

Who in sskk would you say has the higher IQ?

IQ as in, conventionally smart? Then definitely Atsushi does. I'm sorry. I've said it many times before, but I don't think Akutagawa is a particularly perceptive person. Or witty. Or intelligent in general. It's due to external factors, he never got the chance to have anything that could resemble a proper education; but it's also a matter of his nature, he's just so impulsive, and narrow-minded, and stubborn, he really has the thickest skull ever. But seriously, especially in a world full of geniuses, Akutagawa simply doesn't shine for sharpness of mind, and is way too impulsive and instincts-driven to be a person that relies on reflection or rationality. Everything that Akutagawa does is the epitome of irrational, it's one of the greatest appeals of the character.

Atsushi is smart,,,, I've talked about this also, and I think it's less sustained by canon than for Akutagawa, but I like to think he's a very observant and perceptive person whose intelligence doesn't show because he's constantly surrounded by geniuses, but still he is smart. When it comes to observations skills, I find it easy for him to have them due to his childhood of ill-treatment and abuse: as a defense mechanism, he learnt to be especially observative of people's behaviour in order to tell what sets people off and be able to prevent any escalation, I think that's a widely shared abuse survivor experience. Something among these lines is shown in chapter 51:

I also think Atsushi is a very fast learner. He's observant, and that results in him constantly absorbing other people's knowledge. He's often asking for explanations for Dazai and Ranpo's reasonings, and although I know more often than not it solves an expositive role in the storytelling picture, there's still the fact that it makes Atsushi a person who's constantly trying to understand the reality surrounding him. Atsushi is also shown to be very cool-minded and calculating in fight: from him sliding under Akutagawa and attacking him from behind successfully eluding having to face him front-off in chapter 4, to him retracting his tiger limbs to escape Rashomon's bonds in chapter 12, to the strategy he elaborated with Tanizaki (and his ability to catch up on that) to defeat Lucy in chapter 16, to his attempt to outsmart Fitzgerald in chapter 34 (that, although failed, was still driven by rational thinking nonetheless), and the list could go on. The way in fight Atsushi is shown to ponder over and implement the advices people like Dazai or Mori offered him further makes me believe he's really good at absorbing information. And Atsushi is probably book smart, too! He's compelled by reading to the point he would even risk the orphanage director's punishment just to sneak into the library and read (not explicitly supported by canon, but I can take a guess). According to the second guidebook, he spends his leisure time borrowing books from the library and studying. Overall, he really seems to be rational in all the places Akutagawa is on the contrary driven by impulses¹.

It's like… A physics law when it comes to sskk, that Akutagawa will have the most despicable trait while Atsushi has the trait that is conventionally considered the best; or at least that's as far as my characterization of them goes. Atsushi is beautiful, Akutagawa is ugly². Atsushi is polite, Akutagawa is rude. Atsushi is pure, Akutagawa is stained. Atsushi is smart, Akutagawa isn't. Atsushi is lovable, Akutagawa is destined to cause repulsion in everyone he meets³. In the end, none of this matters: they're no different where it counts, that is, Atsushi isn't any more morally just than Akutagawa is. Atsushi in not any more good than Akutagawa is (I actually suspect the contrary is true). But as far as appearances go, it's still important to portray them as opposites, because Akutagawa being unlovable and Atsushi receiving all the love Akutagawa didn't get for being his contrary - even though deep down they're the same - is almost everything their relationship is about. It's also a big part of why they act like they do towards each other: it's source of Akutagawa's bottomless envy for Atsushi; it's source of how devoted and loyal he will grow to be for him - reaching the point of giving his life for him -, because he can't see Atsushi as anything but perfection. It's source of confidence and of that certain justified hatred towards Akutagawa Atsushi feels because to his eyes Akutagawa is about the worst person to have ever walked on earth. It's source to their wish to annihilate the other as the opposite they can't exist at the same time of. It's the reason Akutagawa had to die, because he's not the good one. Overall it's also expression of Akutagawa's thematic struggle to be good and unavoidable failure at that because of the constraints of a narrative that never wanted him to be good.

But I also think they can make it work. More precisely, I think sskk can make it work when both of them can overcome and defeat the narrative dichotomy they found themselves stuck into: by recognizing that deep common ground of “we're the same” and that where it matters, in morals, neither of them is better or worse than the other. The Beast universe exemplifies that for us readers, but they don't know Beast, so they'll have to realize it by their own. About that, I think Akutagawa already caught on, because he was faster to call out the hypocrisy of Atsushi's good guy façade, and from that it's a short distance to realizing that, as much as he hates to admit it, at his core Atsushi is not that different from himself. It's taking a little more for Atsushi to realize, because it's harder to get down from that higher moral pedestal he believes himself to be on, but with his whole reevaluating Akutagawa after he stopped killing and sacrificed himself for him (and then saved him again. And then showed him how formidable of a team they are when they find a common ground.), I think he's getting there.

Tl;dr: Atsushi is smart and Akutagawa is stupid and yes it fits their personalities, but way more importantly it's consistent with the themes they carry that translate in what their relationship is like.

¹ For further reading on how Atsushi can be witty, please refer to @/gloomierdays's tags on this post. ² For further reading on how Atsushi and Akutagawa's looks can be used to reflect their characters themes, please refer to this post. ³ For further reading on how Akutagawa being not smart (as far as conventional definitions of smart go) ties to his character themes, please refer to this post.

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

The Fight

This scene was surprisingly explosive for some watchers with Khem and Chatra almost coming to blows over the table but I'd argue that this was brewing ever since Chatra pulled a gun on Khem. Bad Chatra!

And it also indicates that there is more to their underlying feelings for each other than we see play out on screen.

❤️💙

As they speculate on who could have set off those explosive firecrackers, Hong and Chatra debate what to do with the documents while Khem watches on in increasing distress.

Even his positioning in the frame shows that he is set apart from them, the outsider, the commoner, the slave 🥺

He and Chatra are both standing but Chatra is aligned with Hong and Khem is on the outside looking in.

He hears Chatra appear to be convincing Hong to destroy the documents, the thing he needs to ensure his own safety and his eyes are bright with literal tears. 🥺

"I get it now, if we burn the documents, you and your family will be safe!" Khem accuses Chatra and what he's not saying is "but what about me? Don't you care what happens to me?"

Chatra, you have no idea how much you have hurt this boy!!

This is salt in the wound that is Chatra lying to Khem, Chatra (in Khem's mind) only pretending to care about Khem to suit his own ends. Using him just like everyone else has in his life.

And the problem is that Chatra doesn't fully understand, not Khem's situation due to his status nor the full extent of the damage he has caused to Khem.

"You're afraid of being punished too!" He snaps back, frustrated that Khem seems to want to thwart a chance to help Chatra's family.

But what Chatra and Hong are unable to appreciate, is the full helplessness of Khem's situation.

Both Chatra and Hong are the heirs of their wealthy families. They have no idea what it feels like to be a slave, subject to the whims of a capricious master.

Chatra may be pretending to be a humble musician but it is a pretence and one he can end any time he chooses.

Hong is pretending to be dead but he has an elaborate support system to keep up his ruse.

Khem has no one 💔

While they do have difficult dilemmas to solve that are not without danger, they are not in Khem's position.

"Yes, I'm just a dog that does whatever its master orders! I'm just a servant! I have no choice because I'm not from a noble family like yours!"

He finally spells it out for them after Chatra basically accuses him of having no morals. Chatra! I want to slap you so hard right now

But his face, when Hong intercedes and tells them both to calm the fuck down, goes from anger to heartbreak as he looks away 💔

Which Chatra can't see because he is also looking away 🙃

His eyes stray back to Chatra, as if he can't help himself

Chatra is looking at him too but they are both frustrated and hurt and angry and thinking that the other one doesn't care what happens to them.

As Hong explains that he needs their help to prevent his Tua Hia society from being framed as rebels, Chatra echoes the words of his father "When two elephants fight, the grass is inevitably trampled. That's just how it is." (Which is actually from a famous proverb.) But he still sits down to listen to Hong.

Khem, looking defeated simply replies -

"Before I can even make any move, Phraya Bodisorn is going to put me in jail and claim I murdered his nephew."

Reminding us of the personal stakes for him. Khem is innocent, just like the rest of Chatra's family but that won't stop him being killed by Phraya Bodisorn if he fails to produce those documents.

And yet, he still sits at the table with them, willing to listen to what Hong has to say because Khem's instinct is actually to help others, even if it's at a cost to himself 😭

[butterscotch987]

Through the Shadows of Shame: an AUP fanfic | Table of Contents (Masterlist)

Here's a TOC of my fic, because I realized it's probably going to have at least 50 chapters, at least that's what I've outlined so far.

Last update: Feb 02, 2025 (on AO3)

I'm so bad at updating this now but we're already on Chap 52 on AO3! Season 2 has started!

NOTE:

Not everything written is a summary to prevent spoilers as best as I can. I just put in things I find interesting about the chapter, even though they're not the main focus.

Subject to change.

PUBLISHED Chapters:

Chapter 1: Why I did this work -- my rationale on why I wanted to write it, and why I made the decisions I did.

Chapter 2: Flashback - meant to set some of the dynamic up.

Chapter 3: Library - here we really get to see their current dynamics.

Chapter 4: In His Element - Ludger gets the praise he deserves for teaching

Chapter 5: Braid - People simp for Ludger and his braid

Chapter 6: Bento - Ludger's students cook him a homemade meal. He thinks it's an assassination attempt.

Chapter 7: Doodles - Ludger being Ludger, not understanding his students' intentions as he rants.

Chapter 8: Scooped - Something bad happens to Erina's research. Ludger is there. Wholesome

Chapter 9: Sausage Octopi - Erina cooks for Ludger. Hilarity ensues.

Chapter 10: Fops - Faculty Meeting about an upcoming magic test. Ludger fights for commoner students.

Chapter 11: Library Shift - Ludger does double library shifts. He makes some students cry (in a good way)

Chapter 12: Cheeky - Erina is a pillow murderer. Ludger has fast reflexes. Erina accidentally talks about one of Ludger's secret identities. Sometimes having fast reflexes is bad for you.

Chapter 13: Consultation Hours: Aidan - Ludger gives relationship advice to Aidan. He has no idea what he’s doing. It works?

Chapter 14: Flashpoint part 1 - see definition of flashpoint ;)

Chapter 15: Flashpoint part 2 - some cool magic thing/magic lore happens

Chapter 16: Croquettes - semi-spicy(?); i got secondhand embarrassment when I wrote this chapter.

Chapter 17: Lavender and White Violet - this whole chapter was so chaotic. Just read it, no spoilers.

Chapter 18: Invisible - (secret) asks (secret) to have a blind date with (secret)

Chapter 19: Whiskey Business - UN Owen appears. Bellaluna making crazy drinks.

Chapter 20: Stay - Ludger doesn't usually get drunk but when he dpes he can keep you up all night long.

Chapter 21: Dragon - What better way to forget all the stupid shit you did while drunk by fighting a dragon?

Chapter 22-24: Okay (1-3); Healthy communication yay.

Chapter 25-27: Encrypta (1-3) - Ludger has a new assistant professor. Magic lore (non-canon) Chapter 28: Flora - Flora subplot has been Triggered (TM)

Chapter 29: Lap - Ludger has a genius idea on how to make Erina stop overworking.

Chapter 30: (School)work-life Balance - Ludger helps Sedina manage her schedule. Sedina asks how to make friends.

Chapter 31: Candidacy - A sort of retelling/adaptation of the canon mana output research arc starts here

Chapter 32: Try - Fluffy end

Chapter 33: Warm - Erina talks about Moriarty without knowing she's talking to Moriarty

Chapter 34: Ripe - Erina and Sedina *ahem* use creative problem solving to get more research participants

Chapter 35: Punishment - Repercussions, punishments, and... other stuff 🦯

Chapter 36: The Moon is Always Shining Somewhere - Ludger trains Erina and he passes out. Erina finds a certain pill bottle.

Chapter 37: The Goddess of the Moon

Chapter 38: White Peonies, White Lilies

Chapter 39: Spring in the Middle of Winter - Very important chapter

Chapter 40-42: Arcane Chamber (1-3)

Chapter 43: Carry

Chapter 44: A Garden Named Herzpfad (Heart Path)

Chapter 45: The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships

[skaruresonic]

https://www.tumblr.com/skaruresonic/758536567626383360/the-dangers-of-free-will-what-dangers-being

"even if we're speaking simply from the POV of "Eggman almost destroyed the world when he regained his free will," does one bad apple really outweigh the fact that most people aren't environment-destroying madmen? does that give Eggman the right to deprive everyone else of their free will?"

Eggman is inarguably an irredeemably horrid monster with a long track record of gleefully subjecting innocent people to nightmarish fates. there should have never been any question on whether or not he deserves death.

This is what gets me. The people defending idw sonic's morality don't comprehend that different individuals with different histories will require different approaches.

Comic stans: If Sonic thinks it's fine to kill Eggman then that means he's fine with killing everybody

Uh no???

It's like asking why Sonic sentenced Erazor Djinn to eternal damnation but let Merlina go with a quick pep talk. It's because both cases were utterly incomparable and would naturally require different approaches.

Comic stans: Well if Sonic is fine with punishing irredeemable villains then why doesn't he kill Eggman?

Same reason why Sonic always survives impossible situations or gets outright resurrected after dying. SEGA is not gonna kill off their mascot or the mascot's main enemy. We have to remember there's a bit of a corporate aspect in all of this

Why is this so hard for some people?

This part of your post also stuck out to me "does that give Eggman the right to deprive everyone else of their free will?""

Eggman wants to turn everyone into unthinking machines specifically so he make them worship him forever. That's not exactly a desire or choice based on morality. All Eggman wants is the satisfaction of having power over all living beings.

The only way anyone can defend the idw sonic comic is by making up deranged nonsense and forcing themselves to believe in it.

Comic stans: If Sonic thinks it's fine to kill Eggman then that means he's fine with killing everybody

Uh no???

It's like asking why Sonic sentenced Erazor Djinn to eternal damnation but let Merlina go with a quick pep talk. It's because both cases were utterly incomparable and would naturally require different approaches.

I think the thing that really gets me is half the time I'm not even particularly arguing for or against Sonic killing Eggman as a solution to anything because what would that solve?

The point is moot. As long as there's a Sonic the Hedgehog(tm) franchise, Sonic and Eggman are going to continue fighting each other. The unstoppable force vs. the immovable object. As it should be.

Instead, I'm trying to point out how little Sonic regards Eggman's welfare in the games. That Eggman lives despite Sonic's attempts and extreme negligence should logically attest to Eggman's hardiness and resourcefulness. He's one slippery motherfucker. That's pretty much the size of it in the games.

Yet people interpret

"Sonic, personally, does not care whether Eggman lives or dies. He frequently leaves Eggman behind in explosions or other similar scenarios of the doctor's own making. In other cases, he ignores Eggman's pleas for help or puts Eggman in dangerous situations while neither knowing nor caring if Eggman survives, such as blowing up his Eggmobile with a rock or stealing his jetpack nozzle and sending him plummeting to Earth. "In fact, Sonic has acted so negligently towards Eggman that if he were charged in a court of law, he'd be looking at second degree homicidal negligence, the failure to protect a person which resulted in preventable death. All this should tell you the extent to which Sonic regards Eggman's welfare."

as

"I think Sonic should slaughter all of his enemies. No mercy. Mercy is for wimps."

Granted, not everyone strawmans the point this hard, but it's frequent enough to warrant the occasional facepalm. We're talking about how Sonic treats Eggman in the games, right? So why are we dragging how he treats every other villain into the conversation as if that's germane to the topic at hand?

Of course Sonic is going to treat his enemies on a case-by-case basis. However, I'd argue that the most common examples - "sparing" Metal in Heroes and Merlina in SatBK - aren't precisely the moments of mercy that people portray them as.

Putting aside the fact that Sonic was not the one to "rehabilitate" Knuckles, Shadow, or Silver, folks seem to forget that he charged the Dark Queen with seeming intent to kill twice. He didn't know she'd put up a shield when he lunged for her the first time. And the fact that he repeated the blow just raises questions.

Once, maybe it's an "in the heat of the moment" thing. But twice? Twice, you want somebody dead. Conveniently, I've never seen anyone mention that part of the pre-boss cutscene when they talk about Sonic giving Merlina the flower.

Sparing Metal... Yeah, no. He didn't. Metal passed out, and he ran off. Leagues different than taking Metal home and patching him up.

And idk, it seems weird how folks are unable to accept that sometimes, despite everything, Sonic does square up and kill. Yes. That is something he does on occasion.

It doesn't need all of these caveats and asterisks about how it doesn't count as "real killing," like it needs to be clarified that Sonic the Hedgehog isn't a serial killer. It's not like "he did it out of necessity" will suddenly cause Emerl to un-die at the end of Battle. It's not as though "he helped Shahra" renders "he sealed the Erazor Djinn in the lamp for all eternity and tossed it into the furnace so that the Djinn, if he didn't die just then, suffers eternally in a place no one can find him" moot.

---

Comic stans: Well if Sonic is fine with punishing irredeemable villains then why doesn't he kill Eggman?

Same reason why Sonic always survives impossible situations or gets outright resurrected after dying. SEGA is not gonna kill off their mascot or the mascot's main enemy. We have to remember there's a bit of a corporate aspect in all of this

Exactly.

[houseofbrat]

I’m shaking my head at “royal” fans who still insist charles should do something about harry and meghan before the coronation. The coronation is what will engrave in everyone’s mind that he actually is now the king. Even though everyone knows he is king, i’m pretty sure global general public is still more familiar with late queen, so they unconsciously still sees him as her son, prince of wales. And to be totally honest, prince of wales doesn’t have the big impact that king does, especially when other prince is known as late queen’s favorite and princess royal is general public’s favorite. It’s better to deal with harry and meghan when global general public sees it as king doing his best to protect his kingdom rather than father dealing with his son. I notice how most people focus more on father son relationship than king prince status when talking about them together. Just like harry and meghan want them to see it as.

The people who are complaining most vehemently are the ones who a) dislike Charles a LOT, b) believe William is the destined savior of the BRF, c) don't know much about decades-old discussions about modernizing/slimming the British monarchy, e.g. The Way Ahead Group, and d) just want the Sussexes punished via letters patent.

A) The root cause of all the vehemence is that Charles has the temerity to live and stop William from being crowned king this May. The vast majority is rooted in the belief that Charles is allowing the Sussexes to walk all over him. Never mind that Charles is the survivor of one of the worst pr wars in modern history.

Never mind that the person who actually could have prevented the Sussex children from having titles at all was Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Somehow, she escapes all scorn.

QEII--who conveniently "remembered" Paul Burrell told her he was keeping some of Diana's things after his trial began--had a major problem with direct confrontation. The woman whose ostrich syndrome caused MPs to register their anger over the situation because the government had wasted money on a public trial. All because she was too reluctant to come forward after weeks of public scandal & spectacle.

Are there MPs complaining in parliament about this title situation? Nope. Will they? Nope. There are actual issues of relevance to the general population that they need to focus on these days. Titles for the Sussex kids for a few months aren't the end of the fucking world, and most people know it.

B) For some reason, William is the person who automatically would solve all problems instantaneously, even though he doesn't do much work. This is because the UK tabs have published numerous articles about William's "anger" over each and every Sussex infringement. Never does it cross people's minds that Charles could be angry too. Conveniently, certain people suck up every single story where Wills is angry at Harry; they never believe the stories from this past winter where William was actually worried about Harry. Somehow, William is only capable of one emotion when it comes to Harry: anger. Never worry. It's always how Harry is victimizing William through the press. It's such a one-sided story that if it was a in a movie, no one would find it plausible because the William in these tabloid stories is a straight-up, cartoonishly one-note dude.

William is the one-note savior in this story who will vanquish the terrible Sussexes. It's so fucking cliché.

C) ALL the people complaining about unissued letters patent and titles seem to have no understanding of the discussions that took place in the 1990s, aka The Way Ahead Group, regarding modernizing the monarchy. If you know about it, then you understand why James & Louise aren't referred to as HRHs or Prince/ss. They were styled as the son and daughter of a peer due to the decisions made in The Way Ahead Group. Decisions that should have been put to letters patent by QEII twenty-plus years ago; however, that would mean that she would have had to not indulge her family. She was never not going to do that. Prime example of her indulgences: Andrew.

D) People just want the Sussexes punished via letters patent. Understandable. However, people are acting as if it's the most important job of the monarch. As if Charles should have made it his first priority the instant he became king. Screw the red boxes, mourning his mother, and visiting the four countries of the United Kingdom. He failed at being king because he wasn't the pettiest bitch ever and didn't sign a prewritten letters patent in between his bouts of mourning and all the other events that were pre-planned over ten days. Isn't that the most insensitive attitude directed at someone genuinely grieving!

Most of the people I've seen complaining most vehemently aren't asking for Beatrice & Eugenie to lose their titles & styles. There are also people who think Louise & James should suddenly style themselves HRH Prince/ss James/Louis of Edinburgh. Never do they realize that all four are going to lose their titles & styles.

When Charles issues his letters patent, it's going to be a big deal. It's a major cultural change for the UK. Due to that, it needs to be announced in a way that allows for people in the UK to absorb that the monarchy is changing. Significantly.

A knee jerk letters patent isn't going to happen just to deny the Sussex kids titles. That's not the purpose of the upcoming letters patent. The purpose is to modernize the monarchy.

The Sussexes know this. That's why Harry's wife whined to Oprah about the change in their infamous interview. No one was promoting the Sussex kids' titles except the Sussexes. The palace is in the process of making their changes behind the scenes. The Sussexes--technically Harry's wife if you think about it--insisted publicly that they wanted their kids to be known with prince/ss titles. The palace was not inclined to list them with those titles until they publicly insisted on it.

The reason for that is that they were attempting to prevent any embarrassment for the kids due to losing a short-term title. That's why the palace "respects their wishes." The palace "respects" the Sussex attempts to be famewhores and not realize the embarrassment they'll encounter after the letters patent announcement is released. They "respect their wishes" just as many people "respect other people's differences."

Still too hard for the Charles haters to understand though.

[inventors-fair]

Minor Miracles: NPC Runners-Up ~

Our runners-up this week are @corporalotherbear, @curiooftheheart, and @feyd-rautha-apologist!

@corporalotherbear — Paratroopa from the Mario Bros. series

Well, that's about as clean as it can get. Like the Headcrab before it, Paratroopa stands out by just how natural the mechanical transition from one IP to another feels, which is pretty impressive for a card drawn from a 2D platformer. Frankly, I don't have a whole lot to say about this one besides "it's really good," which isn't a bad thing. It's a compact package of effects that does exactly what you would expect a paratroopa to do, and it does that masterfully. If you'll allow me to play the nitpicker for a second, though, I do think the effect could be worded out slightly better. Rather than entering with a flying counter and protecting itself with flying counters, I personally think it would be more intuitive if it instead entered with a shield counter on it, and had flying as long as it had a shield counter on it. That would represent a notable power increase, as shield counters are generally stronger, and often easier to replenish than flying counters.

@curiooftheheart — Jack Frost from the Shin Megami Tensei series

A name like Jack Frost doesn't seem all that nonlegendary at first glance, but as it turns out, the Shin Megami Tensei universe has a whole lot of jack frosts running around. Go figure. I love the little twist on the typical tap-and-stun mechanic, allowing you to forgo tapping something down to put something that's already tapped even further on ice. That's the kind of versatility these effects are often lacking, and tying it to a perfectly reasonable body certainly makes for a very effective and attractive common. All-around solid, and cute as a button to boot. Hee-ho indeed!

@feyd-rautha-apologist — Shai-Hulud from the Dune series

Bringing up the rear of this parade of rather modestly-sized creatures is something truly colossal. It's impressive that you managed to create something this large while retaining the impression that there could easily be many of them (although any amount higher than zero is too high as far as I'm concerned). I do slightly raise an eyebrow at the inclusion of the Elder type on a nonlegendary creature, but if the metallic dragons from Baldur's Gate can pull it off, I suppose there's no reason this can't. While the wurm's entry is certainly explosive (or maybe "calamitous" is more the right word) the real point of interest here is that active ability. A giant creature with the ability to reveal itself from your hand and set up for its eventual emergence calls to mind Tetzimoc, Primal Death, but the Shai-Hulud decidedly carves out its own niche, alongside the presumable miles and miles of tunnels. An effect that prevents untapping without actually tapping anything down is unusual, but very fascinating. You're punishing enemy creatures for exerting themselves, potentially keeping them locked down indefinitely if you've got mana to spare. It is somewhat of a concern that you would be happy to just never cast the wurm and activate wormsign every turn instead, especially when you have the freedom to hold it up for as long as you want. A sorcery speed rider—or even a restriction to your upkeep—would solve a lot of the issues, I feel. And as an aside, I don't really feel anything particularly green about this beyond simply being an extremely large creature.

~

Here endeth the podium. Commentary to follow (eventually). @spooky-bard

[artisanalpeanutbutter]

i may be stupid but i have no idea what "kills 99.99%" means when it flashes on the screen. could you explain it?

I dont think you're stupid!!

In a literal sense, it refers to the mouthwash in the cargo that eliminates 99.9% of germs. In a metaphorical sense, it relates said mouthwash to both the fate of the crew (Curly being the only (potential) survivor), as well as the fact that most sexual assaults are swept under the rug or end in further violence against the victim. There is also something to be said about the possible connection between it and the likelihood of the crew not being rescued & how Jimmy is realizing that there's no getting out of it (and his delusions strengthen in response to try to eke out some stability), but I don't think that's as relevant. I ALSO don't think that the 99.9% (esp in regards to the majority of the crew dying & Curly barely surviving) is the primary connection btwn the title and the contents of the game. Rape is swept aside and even ENABLED by both the company & people like Curly, allowing rapists to continue enacting harm, much like how mouthwash is just a superficial element in dental hygiene. You need to brush and floss in order to prevent the proliferation of plaque and formation of cavities, much like how you have to punish rapists and build infrastructure that prevents rape from happening & allows victims to receive justice and care when it does. They're just mouthwashing. They're not solving the problem or helping victims. There's a reason why everything goes to shit after Anya tells Curly that she's pregnant & Curly tells the crew that they're all being laid off; Jimmy realizes that it's going to be much harder to get away with it now that there's going to be evidence in the form of a baby AND he can't just fuck off to space to escape the consequences. (Among other things, but I don't want to digress too much)

I mentioned the 99.9% flashing on the screen less bc of what it means, and more bc of how it's in your face enough to be the catalyst for many players' understanding of the mouthwash metaphor. It's like, super on the nose, so imo it was probably put there partially to make sure the player gets the gist of it and doesn't think "oh haha what a silly, absurdist title" even after finishing the game. (Obv it's also there to show the decay of Jimmy's mental state, but still).

Also, art is obv interpreted differently depending on the person experiencing it, so everyone's going to take something different out of it. My beliefs & ideas abt the mouthwash metaphor may be completely different than what the devs intended, but that's the nature of art!! Which is cool!!!

[ink-flavored]

FRUITS!!! (hello friend i hope you are well and your move went well!) Pride: 🍎🥑 Justice: 🌶️🥑 Feriha: 🍌🥑

hi thank you!!! my move DID go well, i'm just trying to settle into a new routine now :3 enough about me though, more about MY OCS!!!!

Pride

🍎 [RED APPLE] Who does your OC value above all else?

Pre-story, himself. Pride learned, in quite a violent way, that there was no one in the universe he could ever truly rely on but himself. To his own detriment, sometimes, he put himself leaps and bounds ahead of everyone he ever interacted with, because he didn't want to run the risk of trusting anyone—and being betrayed—again.

Post-story, he still values himself, but in a more honest way. He doesn't rely himself because he feels like he has to, because no one else will ever care, but out of genuine happiness and the ability to connect himself to the world and others. Justice is a very close second, and he might even be tied for first. As the one who forced him to/helped him realize that other people aren't always out to get him, and care about him even, he has a very special place in Pride's carefully curated hierarchy of importance.

🥑 [AVACADO] What will they never back down about, even if it makes them seem bad?

Most things? Like literally anything?

Being on Lucifer's side might make him seem bad to some people, but it's something he defends even when he's able to acknowledge it wasn't a good choice. Lucifer wasn't able to whip up a rebellion for no reason, and no matter how questionable his methods, or how terrible Hell is under his rule, Pride would never trade his choice. Not even to be an angel again, and save himself the suffering.

Justice

🌶️ [HOT PEPPER] Who would your OC declare their sworn enemy if they could meet them

Ooh interesting... Most politicians and police officers for taking his virtue in vain, tbh. He had his phase where justice was all about order and punishment and being very serious, but has since settled down to understand justice as righting wrongs, or preventing them from happening in the first place. A lot of people are still stuck in the first phase, and do things that Justice would......not approve of, to say the least.

🥑 [AVACADO] What will they never back down about, even if it makes them seem bad?

I think this one can follow from the last answer—for Justice, punishment is a last resort, and never a solution. He exists to give the downtrodden a voice, not to make an example of those who have done wrong. All punishment does is threaten—it's a promise that you can be abused just as easily if you step out of line. It doesn't solve anything, doesn't prevent wrongdoing, and invents more problems.

There are definitely humans, and even other angels of justice, who think he's too soft or naïve for holding this conviction, but he doesn't care. Having Kindness for a sister influenced him deeply, and he's more proud of that than he is worried about what other people think of him. Justice draws his sword when every other solution has failed—it has never, and will never, be his first reaction.

Feriha

🍌 [BANANA] Have parts of your OC been lost to time (in-universe)? What do they wish they could lose from themselves?

Being dead for almost 200 years means she's definitely lost something. Especially since most of those years were spent waiting for a husband she fully expected to meet her in the afterlife first. The anxiety from that would eventually shake her stiff composure, and make her more paranoid than she'd like.

Down in the living world, I can definitely imagine the random wife of a random regent who got randomly murdered wouldn't be something people would be keeping track of, so those paintings of her might be all that's left of her legacy. I don't think she'd be upset about it though.

🥑 [AVACADO] What will they never back down about, even if it makes them seem bad?

She was sold to the sultan at a very young age, and had to claw her way through the harem to get anywhere. Any regrets she has she's made peace with, and won't apologize for things she did when she didn't have a choice.

[send me a fruits and vegetables ask]

[shipcestuous]

*eyes Lucifer/Charlie posts with interest* You know what a really interesting thing about their dynamic is? It technically has two songs dedicated to it, though they don't sing both of them together. More Than Anything is beautiful and full of feels... but there's also Hell's Greatest Dad, which I think could be read as rather suggestive, considering the context around it.

Lucifer and Charlie start out the series as pretty much estranged, and the original pilot posted online seemed to indicate the last time they'd spoken in person had gone very badly, with Lucifer perhaps belittling Charlie's idea of rehabilitating sinners, or at least her ability to do it... something Charlie's VERY keen on, as Hell is overpopulated and, to keep down their numbers and prevent them from rebelling, every year Heaven sends an army to exterminate as many demons as possible, and she's had to helplessly witness this massacre over and over, suffering deeply for it and eventually concluding she'd solve the overpopulation problem by redeeming as many sinners as she could and sending them to Heaven. So, yeah, not exactly a case of a child going through some silly phase and their parent being unimpressed with it. Some even started fearing Lucifer would turn out to be a crappy father, or even an abusive one, because of that.

However, the series on Prime confirmed that Lucifer actually loves Charlie a lot AND loves being around her. It's just that he, too, used to be an idealist who wanted to change things for the better, and Heaven punished him and his wife, Lilith, by confining them in Hell. Lilith apparently didn't give up and tried to empower demons, but Lucifer, who had his ability to see the good in mankind taken from him as well, fell into a deep depression, which seems to have made him unable to be the present, active parent he wanted to be for Charlie, leading to a growing distance between father and daughter. Lilith mysteriously disappearing seven years before the start of the series probably didn't help either character's mental state or their relationship, too. But if Lucifer doesn't believe in Charlie's hotel, it's really because he's terrified that something terrible will happen to her if she keeps fighting for her ideals, and wants to protect her from that, having gone through it himself. When Charlie's girlfriend, Vaggie, convinces her to try and get him onboard again because they REALLY need help, the call when she invites him over is awkward on both sides, but Lucifer accepts right away because he's just overjoyed that Charlie's speaking to him again... to the point he even overthinks something as simple as how to answer the phone!

Anyway, that's how Lucifer comes to the Hazbin Hotel and meets the rest of the gang... including Alastor. Alastor is an Overlord, a powerful demon most people know better than to cross, and actually rose through the ranks by getting rid of other Overlords, showing just how dangerous he is. But Overlords are still much lower in Hell's hierarchy than Lucifer, the literal King of Hell, so he's initially pretty dismissive of Alastor, who... does NOT take it well, to put it mildly. Cue some very fun passive-aggressive bickering, which turns into a musical duel.

Now, one fun thing about this is that the online pilot had led many people to ship Alastor and Charlie, as it had Alastor charm his way into letting Charlie help him with the hotel in a rather pushy way and despite her initial distrust, all while a certain animosity built up between him and Vaggie, who is, again, Charlie's canon gf. To me the Alastor VS Vaggie seems to have been toned down a lot in the series, and Alastor's VA sees him as asexual, with some Valentine's Day merch suggesting he might be aromantic as well, but ofc the Chalastor ship is still a thing. Except... in Hell's Greatest Dad, Alastor doesn't deliberately piss off Lucifer by hitting on his daughter, but by trying to position herself as her new dad! He uses the way HE has been supporting Charlie and her goal from the beginning to try and make Lucifer look either uncaring or weak, looks right at Lucifer while suggesting to Charlie that she could call him dad, and, when Lucifer emphasizes that he and Charlie actually ARE family, argues that sometimes your biological family is a disappointment and you should rely on the family you chose for yourself.

The duel keeps escalating, with Lucifer becoming increasingly flustered and angry, until they're forcibly interrupted by a new arrival. After that, during More Than Anything, Charlie opens her heart to Lucifer, explaining that it's the stories Lucifer told her as a child that gave her the courage to do what's right and pursue her dreams against all odds. Lucifer understands that he can't protect Charlie to the point of suffocating her goodness and bravery, and that wouldn't work anyway because she's a rebellious dreamer just like he used to be, but he must support her and defend her against those wishing to destroy her and her goal, and finally, they reconcile.

... not before Lucifer meets Vaggie and goes "Oh, you like girls?! Me, too! We have so much in common!" Which is such a fun little moment and can be interpreted in so many ways. Is he awkwardly trying to show Charlie that ofc he accepts her sexuality? Is he relieved that she is NOT with Alastor, this shady guy he really doesn't like AND who could have been trying to steal Charlie from him by being both a bf AND a new father figure for her? Is he trying to signal that he and Charlie could share their common interest by having a threesome with Vaggie? ... okay, probably NOT that last one, but it could a fun idea. XD Not one very likely to go anywhere, as Vaggie has been stated to be a lesbian, but still.

Oh, another musical thing! Before a big battle against Heaven's army in the last episode (where Lucifer appears at the last moment to help his daughter against her enemies!), Charlie and Vaggie sing a brief romantic duet together, where they reaffirm their love for each other and Vaggie reassures Charlie that, no matter how things will turn out in the end, she's already done so much for her people and changed lives... but it's actually their own reprise of More Than Anything! Which actually fits rather well, as Vaggie is another character who decided to dedicate herself to protecting Charlie and helping her make her dreams come true. (And also, she's an angel who was beaten up, mutilated, and left bleeding and in pain in Hell when she realized she felt pity for the sinners and couldn't keep killing them. Kinda like Lucifer, the angel who wanted to change things and paid for that... I may be going overboard with these parallels, but they're so much fun!)

Hi! I'm the same anon who wrote about Charlie, Lucifer, and Lucifer getting extremely jealous at the thought of someone stealing his baby girl away from him... I mean, Hell's Greatest Dad. One, I actually just remembered that Lucifer and Charlie have a third song that explains their changing dynamic very well, Finale. It's an ensemble number, but it's kicked off by Charlie feeling dejected and guilty and Lucifer, who knows a few things about feeling like that, telling her not to lose hope but keep fighting, because she's already done something incredible and now she just needs to keep believing in herself and trusting in her family and friends to help her. It's so sweet and moving and I have NO IDEA how it slipped my mind! Two, I remembered that by watching this video about Lucifer by Georgia Dow. It's mainly about how his depression is portrayed and how he deals with it, with explanations and advice for viewers who might going through or witnessing loved ones going through something similar, but it also says some things about Lucifer's relatuonship wih Charlie and how it evolves that I think really illuminate just how good and rewarding to watch their dynamic is:

I feel like I know so much more about Charlie and Lucifer's relationship now. I'm glad Lucifer turned out to be a better dad than it seemed at first as if he might be, and I love his jealousy!

Thank you so much for sharing all of these thoughts with us!

[harocat]

i'm not necessarily arguing against you, i'm just curious, how do you think safety and people abiding the law should be held up without any police force? obviously corrupt police, police with too much power, etc, are no good, but i personally can't imagine what cops would be replaced with if even noncorrupt cops aren't acceptable. i'm interested in hearing your thoughts.

Hey anon,

The thing about cops is 99% of the time, they don't actually prevent crimes. They come in after crimes have already been committed. What we need is an approach that is about preventing them. We have tried police reform worldwide. It doesn't work. It never works.

The entire system of policing is based on punishment, not prevention. In fact, police aren't even obligated to TRY to protect people.

What we need is to tackle to problems at the root. Look at crimes and go 'why does this happen?' and make sure people don't end up in the situations that lead to that. Complete overhaul of social and community problems, universal basic income, guaranteed housing, etc. A safety net that makes it so people who are being abused feel safe coming forward from the beginning, with no risk of them losing their home, job, children, etc. A society for children and young adults where their emotional needs are cared for and they don't have access to dangerous weapons to shoot up schools. When someone has a mental break, mental health professionals especially trained in de-escalation show up, not cops. A society where we make active efforts to disentangle young boys and men from the patriarchy, lowering the amount of rape and abuse we see. Community programs in SPADES to put a stop to street violence. We need to decriminalize drugs, sex work, etc., and create support systems and networks so sex work can be safe and drug addicts can be safely rehabilitated without just throwing them in jail.

MOST crimes could be solved before they happen by this.

And yes, there are crimes out there that likely can't be prevented. You might not be able to stop Joe serial killer by giving him these outlets. But these are anomalies, actually quite rare, and we would have people for them as well; trained in forensics, investigation, etc., with the goal of preventing crimes from occurring, not just punishment.

We also need to see rehabilitation and restorative justice as the goal. Some countries are getting a lot better about that aspect.

The thing about police is they haven't been around forever. They're a recent institution (relatively speaking) that we've become reliant on, by design.

Police abolition can't happen in one day. It's a process that requires a huge amount of overhaul of our existing systems. It's something needed in every country. Police rule us, and there's nothing neutral about that. It's unacceptable.

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

"I should have a word with the store-owner, maybe?"

Glad to see that exactly no one voted for the objectivist option.

ANNETTE - "Oh, no-no, sir! I'm happy to help Mum by luring in customers!" She stands upright and smiles like a little soldier. "Besides, I have some hot juice in my vacuum bottle to keep warm."

3. "What is this crime business?"

ANNETTE - "Crime fiction is about murders or burglaries or things like that. And the work of a policeman or a private detective who's trying to solve a crime and catch the criminals."

"Wait -- not crime *fiction*. I need to know what *crime* is."

"Why would anyone want to *read* about crime?"

"Okay, I get it. Crime-murder gets the people going."

ANNETTE - "Uh..." She doesn't know what to say.

"It's that bad." (Point to your head.)

KIM KITSURAGI - "Crime is a deviation from the law punishable by either a civil or criminal sentencing. It's what *The Law* prevents."

2. "Why would anyone want to *read* about crime?"

ANNETTE - "It's exciting to people, I guess. They get to imagine dangerous things. And it's kinda like a puzzle, where you can guess who the criminal is or how the good guys are going to catch him. "

"I'm a policeman myself, by the way. *The Law*, as I said."

ANNETTE - "You don't look much like a policeman." She examines you, as if to find something policeman-like.

"Huh, well what does a cop look like then?"

"Okay, then maybe I'm not a policeman? Or should stop being one."

ANNETTE - "Didn't mean to offend, sir, sorry, sir. It's just that you don't look like Dick Mullen." She points to a book cover, on which you see a strapping Vespertine officer. He stands grimly over the body of a dead woman.

[embervoices]

This.

We can not have whole categories of people we excuse hating on the grounds that they superficially resemble other people who have wronged us. Upholding those divisions is how the actual oppressors keep us down.

In groups keep their people in by reminding them that They Don't Belong Out There just as much as they keep the out group out that way.

If you don't want to reinforce the systems that oppress us, stop reinforcing the divisions that uphold those systems!

Now, to be VERY clear, this is not the same thing as tolerating intolerance in order to be more tolerant. That's the message the Right likes to use to tell us these divisions are all our fault to begin with - they're NOT. The lines themselves are where they drew them, and we don't have to ignore their having done that to work on erasing them.

What this actually means is focusing on behavior rather than immutable traits, and recognizing where toxicity is cultural, and correctable, not inevitable, and that punishment just makes people avoidant, it doesn't actually change their minds or motivations.

If you make people feel persecuted, they will consider you the enemy. It doesn't matter if they "deserve it".

To that end, blame is not useful. Question who has responsibility, who has power, who has money, who has motivation, access, and opportunity. If these things don't line up correctly, that's what needs to change.

Question what we measure success with, and whether it's balanced correctly. If there's only one measure, it WILL be maximized beyond all reason, and there are very few measures that still work when taken to extremes.

Question who benefits, how, and why, from any given method of measuring. Question whether those measures work equally well for all needs. e.g. how the rich measure a "good economy" is often exactly backwards from what benefits the working class most.

Note how exactly none of this involves figuring out whole classes of people to ostracize. Blame is only useful for making ourselves feel better after the fact about Not Being Them, which is frankly usually complete bullshit. Blame does not solve any problems, and it absolutely does not prevent them from happening again.

I couldn't have said it better myself.