#you don't imagine how was i feeling when i found out there was an Adachi print being sold there

[blue-bird-lamentation]

I went to Japan Weekend Madrid and got an Adachi print (artist is @/altiegg) 😏♥️

There were so much talented artists there and there was space for them. It was an event for them (our biggest conventions here are not that artist friendly...)

[i-just-wanna-be-called-sparkle]

Now that I think of it, maybe it was Mookie's own naivete that got him captured by Wakaba...? I don't know how she would've found him in the first place, but maybe she was pspspsing him, y'know, trying to act nice and non-threatening to avoid scaring him away, and, since he's intrigued by humans, he started talking to her voluntarily? And then he found out about Wakaba's research and wanted to help her, to help humans understand merfolk and bridge the gap between their species, like you said... But, of course, he didn't realize he was falling right into a trap...

Or! Or! Maybe Rumi was sick and Takuto had tried everything to help her, but it was only getting worse... and so he thought that, by bringing her to Wakaba, her research team could help him find a cure or something, but then they captured them and only made it worse. Of course, Mookie would later get his healing magic, and Rumi would repress that trauma, so, maybe, in his eyes, at least she's doing better now?

In any case, him being betrayed by Wakaba would make him choosing to trust Adachi more painful... But I dunno if that makes sense, I'm just brainstorming here, haha

I can see it being a mix of Maruki’s naivete and also Wakaba sugar coating words very very heavily, unless that’s already what you meant. It makes sense that since Mookie’s had so little interactions with humans he wouldn’t understand why they would be deceiving, or doesn’t think they would be deceiving at all. He’s also probably projecting his own nature there. But yeah, basically Wakaba sugarcoats some information and straight up hides other info, and since Maruki thinks she’s telling the truth or doesn’t have a reason to lie, and also has very little info on humans at all, he doesn’t understand or know what exactly he’s getting into.

Wakaba probably did pspspspsps him into talking with her lmao- But I feel like she found him through extensive research. Found as much as she could about merfolk legends and merfolk sightings until she could pinpoint approximate locations for them? Most likely going in not expecting much herself, but surprise surprise, there’s Mookie!

I like the idea of Rumi being sick because there’s actually quite a bit you could do with that! Wakaba could be talking to Maruki, telling him about her experiments and research in exchange for info on merfolk life, slowly getting him to lower his guard around her etc etc. And that golden moment that shows that poor Maruki trusts her is when he goes to her asking about if anything can be done for Rumi. Wakaba says that if both he and Rumi can come along to be experimented on, they can find out what exactly Rumi’s problem is while using Maruki’s healthy body as reference and help her overcome the sickness. And I don’t feel as if Wakaba would lie here… Even if she wasn’t helping Rumi for her or Maruki’s sakes, she’d do what she can to cure her or just keep her alive because of how valuable these test subjects are. The sad part is imagining her keeping Rumi sick, just to see how illness effects a merperson’s body compared to a human’s body…

But after all of that pain and trauma, it would make it very difficult for Maruki to choose trusting Adachi. I don’t think Rumi would be very happy to see Maruki anywhere near a human, either, so who knows what would happen if she did…

[persona4ismoving]

adachi tohru from persona 4 is one of the most terrifying villains in video games and i would like to talk about why.

the game doesn't want you to suspect him, especially in persona 4 golden, when they give him a social link which really takes the target off his back (a move so smart it was replicated in p5 with akechi). he's a lousy detective, he's awkward, he's harmless. he's like family, almost.

how would you feel if you found out an older man you knew was into high school girls, thought women were either sluts to be used or bitches if they refused, and views life as nothing but a game because he can get away with anything considering he's a "harmless" young cop? you don't have to imagine. you already know someone like him. the reality of how men with morals identical to adachi's hide behind maintaining toothless facades is exactly what makes him so horrifying. we see adachis on incel forums, we see adachis at college bars, we see adachis holding seats in congress. men like adachi are everywhere. the only thing that separates the two of them is the fantasical power of the tv world.

persona 4 was ahead of its time in many ways, but pointing the spotlight directly on men who abuse their power and think that if they can't have a girl they want, then no one can, was a bold and unforgiving move. the horror of adachi lies in how he really can be anywhere, because you don't suspect him. it's like every time someone commits an atrocity and their friends and neighbors spring forth with their "but he seemed so nice"-s. in a world where girls are routinely killed for denying men sex and cops use their authority to take innocent lives, adachi is the most terrifying villain because he fits right in.