#but playing with the intentions and characterizations and symbolism of it all just

[eyepatchdate]

The Man Who Missed the Zombie Apocalypse

In all of Kanai Ward, there was one man equipped to survive when the homunculi broke loose.  It’d be an amazing feat, if it had been done on purpose.  But, he hadn’t known.  The man, underwater in a submarine, missed the Blank Week entirely. Or, In which Makoto orchestrates the death of the last human in Kanai Ward.

It's finally time to post my piece for the Rain Code 2025 minibang! I had a lot going on while writing this, but it was so fun to work with this piece, and with my partners @maukuja and @enviousennui!

[thethiefandtheairbender]

Had a good chat with my partner about it today that maybe let me put a finger on what's always bugged me about "we're here to fix canon" attitudes being so prevalent in fandom (especially in the past 10ish years) throughout my life. This is not to say there's never a time or place for that (I've written fix its myself, or the occasional meta on how something could be fixed/improved) or that people are wrong to (we're anti fandom policing). It's also not an issue to me on the basis of "I love my blorbo in canon and fandom mischaracterizes them in the name of 'fixing' them" etc as it is just... coming from a fundamentally different perspective for story analysis / interaction than most (not all) people in fandom, I think.

One of the reasons I enjoyed getting my English degree was because I was finally being encouraged to and taught in alignment with what my brain had always be inclined to do: you always assume that there's a reason, and a good reason, for the story to do whatever it's doing. It assumes that the story is already exactly what it is supposed to be as it is supposed to be, and it's up to you to find the reasons Why.

The story was boring, or made you feel uncomfortable/bad, or you couldn't root for a character or relationship? All of that, at least at the beginning, doesn't really Matter. You assume that the story is paced fine, you assume the discomfort was intentional or part of something broader (historical shit that hasn't aged well) or that the dichotomy of "I feel invested or not invested" isn't useful. And in doing so, you replace all that with asking why.

An example I'll use is 1984 by George Orwell. I read that book in high school and I fucking hated it. Normally, I like the protagonist the most in anything I watch/read, but in that book, I loathed both the two leads and were actively rooting for them to be captured and tortured so the book could end faster; it was an actively miserable affair. I don't think that was necessarily the author's intention (certain amount of death of the author is baked in, but for a lot of the texts I was reading, we didn't even know the author or anything substantial about them, i.e. Beowulf) but, more importantly, I don't think any of those things are Flaws or downsides in the text.

Part of this is because 1984 is a dystopian novel (if a romcom book breaks genre convention that badly where you're miserable reading it, yeah, maybe something went wrong, but more on that in a minute) but even then it doesn't really matter on the basis of genre; I'm sure some people read 1984 and felt fascinated/excited while reading.

Rather, the focus becomes: what do I find so unlikeable about the protagonists? Why would they be written that way (on purpose)? What does it say about the society they live in? What does it say about their characterization, social stratification, etc etc? If a character does something that I think is non-sensical, why? Have I missed something? Should I watch retrospectively for clues? Is there another way to engage and to understand? Is what I label as confusion potentially a, or the, Point?

It is only after finding the reasons, and/or finding them unsuitable, that I let my subjective feelings into play. While a story can have great merit on the basis of relatability, relatability or "this aligns with my worldview / expectations / desires / etc." is not the be-all end-all of discerning quality

For example, I'm never going to be a fan of Jane and Rochester (she's 18, he's her 40 year old employer who routinely lies to her) but there are reasons, Good reasons, they get together in Jane Eyre (a book so subjectively boring I struggled through it twice) in response to both when the book was written and with the book's themes / symbols / their characterization. If they didn't end up together, it would be a fundamentally different story; it would not be Jane Eyre. So objectively, it's fine and an understandably massive influence on the western literary canon; subjectively, it's so fucking bad and I'm so glad I never have to read it again. But if I stopped there with my lack of interest or dislike of the main romance, I'd be missing out on what the text has to offer as well, the text.

This applies to more modern day stuff as well. I don't like Double Trouble from SheRa as nonbinary representation, and I'm nonbinary myself; however, I can acknowledge that the things I don't like about them were probably simultaneously empowering and exactly what the author (who is also nonbinary) wanted to be per his own experience of gender. Having a "I assume the text is right" mindset means that I can hold space for my own feelings/analysis (i.e. I also did not like Catra's arc, as I think she needed to learn other things / be written under a different lens) while holding space for the text as is (under the canonical lens of Catra learning it's never too late to be saved, I think her arc is conclusive and well done). And these two viewpoints aren't fundamentally opposed, but can coexist as analytical soup, being equally true / having equal value under the subjective (my view) and more 'objective' (the canon text's construction, or what I / the scholarly consensus, if it exists, believes it to be, anyway) at the same time.

Again, none of this is to say that you can't take issue with a canon text, or want to change something. I remember one time I was watching a show where their refusal to explore a romantic relationship between the female lead and her guy best friend was actively making the show worse; I understood their reasonings of wanting to put them with other people to explore their relationships, and wanting to emphasize a male-female friendship at the core of the story, and I still wanted them to put the two together as a Ship instead for various reasons. But that doesn't mean my line of thinking would've been Objectively Better—assuming if they had been paired together would've been executed in the manner I'd enjoy, or that them being paired with other people couldn't have been executed in ways I would've enjoyed more—merely that I likely would've enjoyed the series more per my own subjective preferences.

What I see in fandom sometimes is that people, understandably, aren't approaching at the start from a "the story always has a good reason" as much as they are speed-running from a "this didn't make sense to me or felt bad/off" and maybe examining why (which is supremely useful!) but not going back to examine the other side of the coin as to why the story would do it anyway.

Because sometimes the story—or a part of a story—is still 'bad' to us. It's just worthwhile to look at why it's 'good,' too.

[tablestoastandtime]

Legacy and Shadows

Say what you will about large parts of Tim's characterization being a product of the archetype he used to embody in the DC universe, it's kind of fucked up to suddenly become a completely different kind of character without your say so.

Or, Tim and the fact he doesn't get to have a future.

Tim wasn't sure what to make of the way everyone seemed confident that one day Damian would be Batman.

The kid was the only one to say it out loud, for the most part, but like a surprising amount of things that came out of his mouth everyone seemed to mostly take it for truth. And to be fair, when had Damian ever let anyone really stop him from going after something he felt he had a right to? So maybe it was true, if only because he was going to make sure of it. 

It was just. People used to think that about Tim, too. Not that he'd ever said that, ever even wanted it. If anything, Tim had spent as much time as he could reminding people that he wasn't Batman and had no intention of being him. But the shadow of it had lingered, and part of Tim had been bracing for it for years.

After all, Dick wanted to be Batman even less than Tim did, had initially been willing to let the mantle die to avoid it. Dick was Nightwing in a way not everyone ever got to inhabit their titles. Part of what made Dick one of the best of them was how he managed the split; by not letting there be one. Dick was Nightwing was Coach Grayson was whatever bullshit name he'd picked up while playing super spy. He never stopped being himself in any of those roles, for all that he'd put on the appropriate hat to play the crowd. There was a difference between performing and lying, and Dick was born for the lights. 

Batman didn't have much to do with light even at the best of times.

And on the other end of the spectrum, Batman was bad for Jason in a way that honestly caught Tim off guard when he first saw it. Sure none of them had been at their best back then, all alone in their own seas of grief, but Jason had lost whatever stability he'd had for a while there, and was only more recently leveling back out. He'd latched onto the mantle as both connection and insult, a last 'fuck you' to a man he wasn't ready to let go of yet. For Jason the cowl hadn't been about any actual interest in the job that needed doing. And yeah, maybe Tim was a bit biased because if he ever saw Jason in a batsuit again he was liable to do something truly stupid to pay him back for last time. What was worse, being attacked by a symbol of trauma or a symbol of faith?

Tim sure knew that he hadn't liked his end of the stick, at the very least. Maybe he'd feel differently if things hadn't gone the way they had, but he didn't want Jason to be Batman and it was only mostly personal.

Even before all that though, the idea of legacy had still been haunting Tim for longer than he'd wanted to admit. People died, heroes died, Tim knew that better than he knew what school he'd taken second year bio at, but the job always remained. Dick had only been interested in doing part of that job. He'd do the parts he wanted to well, Tim had always believed that, but that still left the rest of the job.

And Tim had kind of figured that would be his responsibility.

He hadn't always been happy about it, had resented the shapes Bruce built into his work even as he'd learned more and more why they'd been necessary to keep the undead freight train of the Bat going. Tim didn't like a lot of what Batman had to be to be effective, but he understood it and he didn't want to see Gotham or the world go without the pillar he represented. If you wanted a job done right, sometimes you had to do it yourself. Tim wouldn't ask anyone else to do something he wasn't willing to do, and if it meant Gotham got to keep its hero then yeah, he'd put on the cowl one day. He'd already tried once.

More than that, Tim was pretty sure Bruce used to see things the same way. Half of his training only made sense if it was to be something that was both more and less than Robin. He'd been preparing Tim for a role that wanted to eat him alive, and for all that Tim had gotten maybe more attached than was strictly healthy to the Robin mantle, it had become a part of him rather than his whole identity. Robin leapt into dark and danger feet first. To be Batman was to live there all the time.

Whether Tim had liked it or not, he'd spent the better part of the last four years half-knowing he'd have to move there one day and he'd lived like it was true. Frustrated, fighting it sometimes and dutifully twisting his edges to better fit others, but always like it was a future he couldn't afford to be unprepared for.

And then Damian came into their lives and Darkseid tried to transtemporally nuke Tim's remaining mental health. There was a paranoid imp that lived in the back of Tim's head that still half-believed that the whole thing had been another elaborate test, except this time if it had been then Tim must have failed because he never did get his life back afterwards. 

Tim put himself and everything he believed into a blender to find the cracks in everyone else's certainty and for all that he'd been right it had never even mattered. The Justice League found out about and went after Bruce independently. They'd only called him after he'd spent months playing into his own worst instincts to get the job done, just to do almost all of the work in front of him.

Maybe he'd done it all wrong. Maybe he'd been doing it wrong for a while.

Even if he hadn't wanted it, he'd been Tim Drake. Robin. The kid who might one day be Batman. And now, by some silent consensus he hadn't been invited to, he wasn't.

It was a relief. It was a deeply haunted house he'd been written out of the will for, it was a black hole that had materialized over his head and swallowed everything he had seen ahead of him.

It was the reality Tim needed to figure out how to live with.

He was doing his best these days, trying to fit the pieces of the person he used to be into the new shape of his life, but he kept cutting himself on the edges where they didn't quite line up. Cut other people sometimes too, even when he tried not to. But when he tried to take space to keep the sharpness to himself, it took his eyes off the movement of the world and when he looked up he had to start all over again to try to put together the puzzle of what he was going to do for the rest of his life.

And through it all, Tim kept turning over the issue of finding a name to use, methodologies to employ, somewhere he could even live, because the ones he used to have didn't really belong to him anymore. Never had, in all fairness.

They'd always been things gifted to him in exchange for dedication and hard work. He'd thought at the time that had meant earning. Now, of course, he knew better.

And now he had to do without them.

Who was Tim Drake if he was never going to be Batman? Who was Tim Drake, as someone who used to be Robin?

He had no idea. Tim just hoped it didn't take the rest of his life to figure it out.

[bladekindeyewear]

[S] 8r8k artist/writer commentary part 2

(Part 1 link) Part 2 of the commentary for the flash just came out on Patreon! I'm reading through for anything especially clarifying or plot-relevant under the cut, skipping most of the fluff and not-specifically-understanding-relevant stuff as usual so Patreon subscribers can enjoy it.

Hopefully we get a hint of clarification on some things like exactly what "Hell Tier" is and how it differs (or doesn't!) from Ultimate Self ascension, and why Karkat thanked her for the "obnoxious laser assist", unless he was thanking Jake to the side when he said that...

Alright, starting my skim through this for useful details... a bit more about the super-detailed Sollux bit, they mention again that he doesn't have his teeth, but specifically also that "he does indeed have both eyeballs, they're just black". (And still blind I'd assume.) Interesting.

OH, THIS I didn't catch: The flash isn't meant to take place over a short period of time, but rather from sunset through NIGHT (the second half of the flash, when Jake rises up, Rose points at her forehead and Vriska does her thing) up to the EDGE of daybreak at the very end.

Kim: We’ve finally reached THE NIGHT! As I’ve emphasized in the last few of our artist commentaries, the gradual change of time and when the events in these past few updates have occurred have very deliberate symbolism to it. Light and shadow played a VERY important role during this flash, and we knew very specifically it had to be night time for the climax of 8r8k. If you think about it, it’s kinda crazy that they’ve been fighting like this for HOURS. Even until daybreak… At the very end of the flash, you can actually see the sun rising JUST a bit over the horizon too…

We have Jake rising up, and the wings, and in a sense Tavvy seeing his father as a more literal God as they say he "has probably always thought"? Good characterization to keep in mind.

Oh, the Rose pointing at her forehead for the bullet is an explicit reference to a famous scene/panel from the manga "MONSTER", I wouldn't have noticed that. A badass if fatalistic shot as a culmination of her "cold" mindstate leading up to this moment, they say. To also quote one of them, "Oh Rose…what are you doing man.".

(Horses and the intro to the final Vriska self-reuniting scene, let's see... I wonder if they'll mention some classpect stuff...)

[KIM:] (Vriska)’s request for Vriska to accept (her)self wholly had been tormenting her for YEARS, literally a looming shadow over her… haunting her… I wanted the irony to be palpable that even though Vriska, clearly an adult by now, was posed with what would objectively be such a simple task still made her feel so small in the face of it even beside her younger self.

The shot of her sadly looking back at her message to Terezi from John's device...

Floral: It was early on decided that Terezi was the bridge between these two Vriska’s, and that despite what Vriska put (Vriska) through or her constant rejection, (Vriska) being able to still empathize her other self was a prime example of what Vriska could be. It’s not about loving someone more than you hate yourself but something crazier and more complicated. I love Vriska.

They note an intentional and almost hilarious contrast between how the adult Vriska is drawn in detail and the smaller (Vriska) is drawn in her old MSPA Hero Mode style... (Vriska) being scared and backing away because of all the bullying Vriska mixed in to the rest of the (four-ish!!) years she's been stuck revisiting her and failing...

((Including shooting at her with a gun, that was still a crazy thing to mix in I don't know what the fuck was up with that, lol. Part of my mind still can't help but distantly wonder if that was a reference to my other username but, naaah.))

The final hug moment "like an older sister reconciling with their younger sibling", they're talking about how showing the resolution in this action showed the "acceptance" more than any words could so it made sense to show it in this form here, in the flash, instead of earlier...

Davepeta understandably the happiest about this development among her supporters, and a bit of mention of:

Miles: In many ways the fate of a sprite is to be an agent of someone else’s journey, but 8 years in silent hill is vicious work.

Yup, yup...

Then Vriska is alone and surprised to have "finally accepted herself as a whole"...

Alright, seems we're moving out of the Plot Point and back to the action.

"[Floral:] Her cheshire grin as she totally fucks up Rose’s plan." I definitely enjoyed that, yeah.

They say they wanted it to "mirror Terezi's hand as all of Meat was flashing by", but I guess I still don't get the full significance of their decision to have that huge Meat flashback just before the moment happened... partially to signal Ultimate Vriska's awareness of the entirety of the situation (Light) upon her ascension here if I had to guess, and another excuse to show Terezi as the emotional bridge? They don't quite say here.

Ah, they "decided that the meteor would explode" at that moment in the flash, and they show the blue light blast behind her; I wonder if the laser was let through or if the destruction was an explosion from within as Vriska came out and rescued the others? Was the meteor exploding UPWARD with her ascendant emergence the "obnoxious laser assist"?

Kim: AND HERE SHE IS IN ALL HER GLORY…. HELL TIER VRISKA!!! [...snipping some text...] It’s everything about her, but AMPED UP!!!

I suppose they're mostly focusing on their design choices and not spoiling us on details or "why"s (yet)?

OH WAIT THEY DO TELL US SOMETHING HERE IN A BIT:

Now, you may have been wondering, “what the haell is all the hubbub with this ‘HELL TIER’ nonsense I keep hearing about?” You can actually thank that one for being another Andrew Hussie original! If you’re a hardcore Beyond Canon fan, some of you may remember that it was mentioned Andrew had two mandates for Homestuck’s sequel that HAD to stay from his outline. One, being Yiffany’s character AND……. lo and behold, TWO is Hell Tier Vriska! Her concept and design was one of the first few things we as a team worked on together when this project started up again. While the core of her concept has essentially stayed the same, with our team’s reboot, the direction and purpose of it is what mostly changed. Fun fact, Andrew’s original design notes for her in the outline said she would have red hair, blue skin, and look like an insanely demonic anime pirate lady. Do what you will with that information LOL.

THIS is especially interesting and deserved being quoted in full, my bolding added for anyone curious at some of the differences between Andrew's original outline, Homestuck^2, and the intentionally-loosened-from-his-outline-more Beyond Canon continuation. Because of the intentional differences in tack it sounds like they took in introducing her -- and let me tell you, everything they did with The Plot Point and the 8-year psychology session was BRILLIANT to me and I loved it, personally -- it's difficult to tell what differences there might have been between this and the version Andrew originally had in mind in terms of plot purpose and characterization beyond most likely always being meant to serve as the gateway to get the Omega Kids into Canon, I'd bet. For all we know it could have been more of a Grimbark-like transformation embodying the overembracing of a Thief of Light instead of an ascension from true balance like we saw, but I expect we won't get any answers on differences THAT big between the "outline" and the final plot for a long time, until after the plot is over most likely.

Kim: What we also wanted to emphasize is that this form isn’t exactly like a new state of being like the usual God Tiers, it’s more like a power-up that Vriska has unlocked!

This ALSO doesn't tell us quite where this power came from-- if this is the natural true power of a Thief of Light she's finally tapping into, if this is something "taken" from the nature of The Plot Point's Hell, and/or if this is her Ultimate Self. We simply don't know yet, and they're not telling us just yet!

Alright they're moving on... yep, they gave the "prior Bec Noir"(?) version of Jack an ending by having him serve Jane in that mech and be killed... (I forget, in those hard-to-find snapchats wasn't it Mech Noir and the Felt followers that Jane captured? Eh, this is a detail I feel like I don't care enough to properly reconcile, oddly enough... Although the moon WAS blown apart in this flash so that Jane kidnap snapchat DID happen, was that mecha-Jack actually the former Bec Noir or did they mis-state here? Was it even mecha-Jack? If so then he'd been restored from Mecha status by Jane's Life powers then, which makes some sense. Maybe they're calling him "prior Bec Noir" because of the Bec-Noir-like mecha "BecMech… (Mech Noir?)" he was piloting, so combining them in symbolism. Eh I don't care too much.)

From her in front of the Moon-- I still want to know if she stole Light from the moon like it looked?

Floral: I helped animate this part too and god, when we saw it all together, it was amazing. Vriska fully harnessing her light powers to deliver the most relevant strike the Candyverse has ever seen.

--I'm still unclear if how I saw it is what really happened, I'd have appreciated some clarification. Maybe it was just a dramatic pose and stealing of Jane Crocker's continued relevance and power before her strike. They don't explain the flaming infinity on the ground either or what it accomplished beyond looking awesome.

They mention some other inspirations for Vriska's final blow and the rest of the assault you can read on Patreon that don't have specific plot-relevance that I'd cover, there's plenty of that...

Oh pff... they intended Jane to survive this flash, but Just-A-Head-Jane was apparently an on-the-spot idea here that someone tossed in and they laughed about it but eventually took it seriously and followed through with it, and I'm so glad they did, it's absolutely hilarious and emphasizes Jane's full-strength logic-defying Maid of Life powers and I love it:

Spicyyeti: the talking head was outside the bounds of the flash but i suggested it. and everyone kept saying “why not?” jokingly until they started saying “why not.” seriously. think reanimator, or haunted mansion 2003, or lollipop chainsaw, but especially susie summer killer7……

Miles: That call was hilarious because I think the transition from joke to serious was maybe less than a minute.  Literally as soon as we started talking about it I went into the doc for the next update and replaced every dialogue instance of “Jane” with “Jane’s head” and just kept laughing and laughing; it changed basically nothing about how the update needed to be written but an already funny gag was taken to crazier and more hilarious heights.  I guess I’ll save the rest of this for the next commentary, but seriously choice suggestion from Carmi, who saved our lives in so many ways on this animation it’d take an entire other commentary to list them all. Floral: It was an amazing idea and EXACTLY what the flash needed. And honestly the most Homestuck way to handle the conflict.

I'm in full agreement with them on that, Dullahan Jane is fucking hilarious and the best and a super Homestuck thing to do and I love it.

I suppose that's it for all the bits I find most plot-relevant or interesting for this commentary, but again, if you want more about the juicy art details and less plot-necessary revelations, feel free to chip in to Homestuck's Patreon or wait the 61 days for it to become public!

[hiloveitsalright]

I really like the Tokrev characters but I'm mad about the girls. Like. They're all characterized by their relationships to the male characters. Every. Single. Girl.

Rants on the main girls below the cut.

First of all Akane - do I need to explain? Girl died long before the plot, she's only there as tragic backstory to both Inui & Koko. So what is she like? Seemingly sweet... but we see her through flashbacks that are heavily hinted to be Kokonoi pov, so can it really be trusted? What does she even like? What does she do in her free time? Who knows!

Next, Yuzuha - I love her. Really do. She's already more tangible than Akane, but she's also mostly characterized by her brothers... but that can be put aside, since the BD arc is about abusive siblings. I'm not a professional of that topic, but it those sorts of things do seem to make people more agressive to threats / protective of their loved ones. She's backed up in a corner and has to take care of both and that's a great characterization in my book... but also we almost don't hear of her after that arc. Which I feel the right to point since both Hakkai and Taiju stay relevant :/

Senju - she's a bit of a wilcard, and i give you that, she's not completly written as a male character's extension. But she's also the 'girl raised in a boys' family' stereotype, and while she plays a critical role in Haruchiyo's tragic backstory, her own arc could have been more... interesting? Just throwing ideas here, but digging more into her guilt and superhero syndrom could have had a bigger impact... I just think Wakui could have done way better for the potential she had.

Hina - really love her, she's a total sweetheart, but she really is the gf archetype. She mostly exists as motivation for Takemichi (& Naoto) and we don't really see her out of that context - and don't get me started on her plot relevance being due to another guy's interest in her! She's the catalyst for the whole story, and that means she starts as plot convenience. She's not a badly-written character, don't make me say that, but she still feels like some kind of dream gf that's mostly used to show the main character's determination.

(Maybe it's even an intentional choice? If that's the case it's a genius move, and if pusged a bit further I would have gone insane watching Takemichi chases the idea of Hina / the idea of a perfect gf / the symbol of a life he hasn't wasted. Plus that would build some more obvious parallels with Kisaki and it would have been so fun!)

And last but not least -

Emma.

Emma, my beloved. Her whole character is a blank canvas. She likes teddy bears, fashion, the karaoke, and her one (1) friend Hina. She likes her brothers. She likes Draken. She's introduced as Takemichi's 'other girl', and those misunderstandings keep happening the whole show, even after it was cleared up. Her whole personality is based on her crush on Draken and on the fact that she's her brothers' sister. She doesn't exist outside of that.

(You know the "dead wife" trope and all the discourse on sexism and killing off female characters for the sake of male characters' development? Ring a bell?)

I don't recall a single scene where Emma is not defined by the guys around her. Even her death isn't about her, but about hurting her brother through his sister. And then it's about Izana dying joining his siblings, and Draken dying and joining his love.

They really deserved a better treatment.

(once again I'm not saying that tokyo revengers is bad, or baddly written, i'm just saying there are a couple times where you realize that yeah, this has been written by a man.)

[krusies]

thoughts on deltarune 3&4

its pretty clear the holidays are connected to the knight Somehow-- queen is a direct parallel to carol and if her 'unknowing manipulation by the knight' is to be paralled as well, that indicates carol is also helping the knight, whether with full knowledge of its plans or not

my personal theory is that carol is the one on the phone with kris in chapter 4 (hence why she comes home early and kicks out susie)

the deltarune symbol being on the shelter code is Also rather suspect because if the knight tried to kidnap toriel ('main' person to wear the delta rune) it implies an ulterior connection between toriel and the holidays + undyne (who are connected by carol)

WHICH DOESNT MAKE SENSE. except i think theres a fairly strong implication in chapter 3 that dess is the reason why the holidays and dremurrs drifted apart And in particular that kris was involved with dess's disappearance and asgore & toriels subsequent divorce. which, if so, is a direct parallel to asgore & toriels split in undertale

this lines up pretty well with kris's characterization so far-- kris is weirdly reserved and distant at times despite how much they care

kris: never (or rarely) compliments noelle, doesnt let anyone listen to them play the piano, has drifted apart from noelle (and seemingly before asriel left for college, which crosses that out as a reasoning), and shows less emotion towards ralsei (unless directed to by the player, which we have no way of knowing is genuine because ralsei..... Cannot read social cues...)

all of which is to say: kris's behaviour doesn't read as someone who is just emotionally repressed. it's much more likely that their behaviour is led by guilt, grief, or something including either

with the knowledge that dead monsters can be 'revived' in the dark worlds, like gerson, it feels possible that carol and kris are working together to help the knight in order to bring back dess

which then colours the ending of chapter 4 differently-- kris is aware that gersons existence in the dark worlds is fickle, but... they also know he's alive again.

with the knowledge of the knights plans (and their intent to kidnap toriel) it stands to reason that kris might be getting second thoughts, hence why they need to be reminded-- they made a promise

[honghongyue]

Mini essay on mdzs up ahead --!

i find mxtx's potrayal of war in mdzs honestly fascinating, and even as i analyse it from a surface-level understanding of the story, mxtx's underlying commentary is incredibly apparent. to add on, i do want to consider the point of the death of the author. even if mxtx's personal intention within mdzs's commentary was tied to problematic interpretations of history etc., it remains up to the audience to determine what they want to take from her work. and because of that, i want to interpret her work in a way that is contextually relevant to what we see in today's world.

one thing is that mxtx's portrayal of the wens through wwx's perspective is so juxtaposed through wwx's actions. on one hand the structure of mdzs is that of an incredibly detached narrative, where perspectives all throughout the story are disconnected from the wens specifically due to their introduction as powerhungry war machines. but when you eventually follow wwx's line of thought with protecting the innocent and ayuan's eventual reconnection to his biological family, it shines much needed light onto the wen clan. because despite historical conflicts and complications, those that succeed the perpetrators are innocent so long as they do not reinstate violence- and we all must be reminded that everyone is human. this is a major point i want to emphasize! after all becomes just and dued its process, people remain people.

in a way, mxtx's portrayal of the wens is a direct reference to china's mentality of the japanese post-manchu invasion. first, we can see that the wens are clearly depicted as the japanese through sun symbolism in their flags as well as their introduction to the story as a clan of war. then, we can dive deeper and see the disconnection of the chinese population with the japanese at the time (which is rightfully so due to the horrific militaristic acts enforced on innocent chinese citizens). this is represented by the eventual corruption of the wen leaders, some which were characterized as absolutists; unendingly greedy; and sadistic. but the thing with this characterisation is that it's so easy to say the same about ALL wens. this is where wen ning and wen qing come into play, however- their inherent need to protect lives and humanity no matter who's in power really humanizes part of the wen clan. and mxtx continues to do this throughout the story. but regardless, because of wwx's limited perspective it's undeniable how disconnected the wens appear from all other clans- and thus wen citizens' humanization post-war becomes so much more important, and we see that through wwx's actions as the yiling laozu.

[vip-komilk]

⚠ TW: Sibling incest ⚠ Huge-ass leonfrancis headcanons post, including NSFW. If you read my fics, or just follow my nonsense on twitter/bluesky, these are the headcanons I'm leaning on most of the time. Take a look inside my twisted mind. This is more insane than the Vittorino one.

I'm putting it under a readmore for a reason, this is my disclaimer. Thanks.

Conceptual headcanons

This is the pretentious shit. Idk how else to say it. It's all the symbolism and references to folklore and stuff like that LOL.

THE GENERATIONAL CYCLES. This one is first because it is at the core of all the bullshit that will come after, so I need to hit you over the head with this one. 8:11 has a theme around cycles and I theorize that Leon and Francis are cycles of their parents. That's it basically. Leon picked up the hunting and surgery skills from his father. Leon kills his father in very much the same way Dante (who it's implied was something like a protégé or even a son) kills him. Their mother had a chronic illness and was intent on one of them (presumably Francis) becoming a priest, Francis then becomes traumatized and bedridden after her death. Leon falls into the role of his father, Francis into the role of his mother. Do you see the vision? This one is important.

Merge theory. If you've been in 8:11 fandom for a bit you'll have heard of this one, the idea that Leon and Francis merged at some point; presumably it was something Leon did in an attempt to "cure" his brother. You'll see me allude to this with ideas of them "becoming one" (yes, including sex).

I've played on the literary/spiritual concept of twins being split from a single "soul", they they are two halves of a whole, that they are incomplete without each other. Hence the aforementioned merge theory is more a rejoining of these split souls.

Cain and Abel. Why the hell not. I'll get into a bit more later but I do sometimes like to play with the idea that Leon really resented having to look after Francis, really resented his "ailments" when there appeared to be nothing physically wrong with him. The idea that Leon might have wanted to kill him at times, just to free them both; the idea that perhaps his father had felt the same towards their mother, even if he never expressed it.

---

General headcanons

I don't feel strongly one way or the other as to whether they're identical or fraternal twins, but them having different hair textures makes me lean towards the latter (ignore the split soul theory being for identical twins, its my beautiful dreamscape and I can do what I want). I think their features are similar enough that people think they're identical at first glance though.

I tend to characterize Francis as a grumpy cat LOL. He's kind of antisocial and withdrawn, when he's mad he tends to give the cold shoulder. He has a kind of stern, quiet compassion, and when he can tell Leon is stressed out, he'll just silently start cleaning up Leon's stuff and bringing him food and things like that. Real acts of service love language going on.

From the game it appears to me like they lived in a secluded, rural area. The Tremblays maybe had limited interactions with people outside the family, the boys would maybe take a bus to school, and they would go into town on the weekends and for church but it's not as if they spent a lot of time surrounded by people. This is kind of important in setting up the context for Leon and Francis becoming isolated after their parents die.

They were probably the kind of kids that made up their own language to communicate with each other. I think it would be cute if Francis kind of clung to Leon when they went to school (until they get to the age when being close to your sibling isn't Cool and 'I'm more than just my brother's twin actually').

Re: the whole 'children are more or less incarnations of their parents' thing above, Leon is favoured by their father as the eldest to more or less take up the role of the Man Of The House. Their dad was probably a serious guy, considering he was both a war veteran and a surgeon, so those are big shoes to fill. On the other hand, Francis is more of a momma's boy, spends a lot of time with their mother at her bedside, makes sure he tells her everything he and Leon are up to.

Based on VHS #2, the hunting motifs and the forest imagery towards the end of the game, I think it's fair to assume their house sat at the edge of a forest. Leon and Francis probably spent a lot of time out there as kids and teens, exploring and finding animal bones and setting up forts of branches and foliage. They probably got lost out there once or twice. Maybe they trespassed on their neighbour's land and got shot at. I like to think of Leon with a big VHS camcorder making "documentaries" of the stuff they make out there.

Francis starts smoking (weed). The first time he convinces Leon to try it, Leon gets really paranoid and doesn't leave the couch for hours. Needless to say he's not eager to do it again.

---

After their parent's death

Includes NSFW towards the end.

Uhhh I headcanon that Leon's drinking habit starts after he kills his father. I do think it's just as likely it could've started after the fall of the Basilica, but I really like the idea of Leon struggling with it in secret while at the Basilica lol.

They both have a lot of trauma, and struggle to process it and confront it. Francis starts talking about ghosts and Angels, loses his eyesight, becomes bedridden. Leon is likely forced to look after him in the aftermath, while I'm sure he's also haunted by the fact he killed his own father. And yet, however much Leon might resent Francis for his condition, how can he possibly abandon the only remaining family he had left? Especially when it was his mistake that drove Francis to be like this in the first place. And Francis is helpless; he's blind and ill and he relies on Leon completely. Leon fears Francis for the crazy things he's saying, and Francis fears Leon who returned home soaked in their father's blood. They have both become unrecognizable to each other, they both have reason to be wary and suspicious and yet horribly codepedent on each other.

Even something as simple as Leon leading Francis around the house, or bathing him, or shaving him. How easy it would be for him to push him down the stairs or slit his throat as he holds a razor to his neck. I like to thing the tension and the dread in that house is a constant weight on them both.

Leon avoiding mirrors is obviously him avoiding Dante in the game, but I think perhaps we should consider it could also be tied to guilt at seeing his brother's face in his reflection.

(NSFW - dub/non-con) If you've read my fic "If we fall," I emphasize the guilt I think Leon would probably feel for this whole situation and wouldn't really be able to bring himself to stop Francis from acting out against him, and just lies back and takes it.

(NSFW - dubcon) Leon drinks every night so that if anything happens (coughs having sex with his bedridden brother), he can deny to himself that he was in his right mind.

This is where the Cain and Abel thing comes back into play. Sometimes Leon resents Francis. It’s a burden to have to look after him. He's an unsettling, haunted husk of a human being, and he wonders if their father ever felt this way about their mother. If he secretly yearned to snap her neck, to free himself from the chains binding him to her. Some nights when Leon drinks and Francis sleeps he stands at the doorway glaring at him, caught in uncertainty, unsure if he loves him or hates him.

This one's a bit delusional but a few friends and I were throwing around the idea of Francis getting paranoid and trying to escape the house, but of course he's blind so he doesn't get far. Gets his leg caught in an animal trap set up in the woods and has to lie there as the sun sets, shivering and bleeding and unable to free himself until Leon comes to find him and brings him back home, now with an injured leg and even more reliant on Leon to help him.

---

Transfem Francis

Yes this needs its own section.

It started because a friend put me on to it but again, the parallels to the parents kind of just strengthened it for me. If Francis is meant to take on the role of his mother then why can't that include his gender? //taps temple//

I think she starts transitioning before their parents die, but she starts to present more outwardly feminine only after. She starts rifling through her mother's clothes and wearing them, and again Leon is kind of just too shaken and guilty to stop her. (I feel the need to clarify that Leon's shock would not be Francis wearing feminine clothes but more that she's wearing their dead mother's belongings).

Leon starts to treat her a lot more carefully (you can't just roughhouse with a sister like you can with a brother, in his mind). He fixes her shirts if they start slipping down too far and showing too much chest. Francis thinks it's annoying as hell.

---

The real delusion

This is the insane stuff I'm sorry in advance. Includes NSFW.

If you want the real delirium, there's a whole alternate au in my head where Leon never performs the merging surgery and never goes to the basilica and instead he and Francis kind of just get mind-broken by their circumstances and lean into the cycled roles of their parents as a means of survival and become horribly codependent on each other and convince themselves they love each other the way their parents did. If you ever see me talk about them being married or acting like a couple I'm probably referring to this "parent roleplay" au lol.

They should get married in the garden and Francis should wear her mother's wedding dress, beautiful wonderful world.

me and a friend went crazy talking abt them going to a local farmer's market together as a couple and some of the older vendors mistake them for their parents. She hangs onto his arm and asks him to describe things for her. They go to a barn dance and dance together. Agh. Sobs.

Incestuous codependent delusion aside, they can be the cutest couple ever i think.

Thanks for making it this far //blows kisses//

[moviemunchies]

When I first saw Revenge of the Sith in theaters, twenty years ago, it was for my sister’s birthday party. I remember the atmosphere around the movie’s release–the Time magazine article, the LEGO Star Wars video game, an excerpt of the novelization being read on the radio, the tie-in book about Obi-Wan’s duel with Grievous at Best Buy…. look, there was a lot out there. It was a huge moment in pop culture, one of those things where people lined up in costume for the midnight premiere.

[Midnight premieres. Remember those? I never went to one.]

Given how my relationship with Star Wars is now, I thought I’d revisit the movie. It was back in theaters, and I went and saw it!

This might be more of a discussion than a review, I guess?

The final movie of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Revenge of the Sith tells the story of the end of the Clone Wars, the Fall of the Old Republic, and of course, Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side. It’s generally considered the best of the Prequels (maybe a low bar), due to its dark tone, frequent action sequences, and jumping straight to the point of two movies’ worth of story setup. It is still one of the Prequel movies, though, which means there’s plenty of stilted dialogue, awkward characterization, and some things that just don’t quite work.

And look, I know there are a lot of Prequel defenders out there now, especially given the release of the absolute mess that was the Sequel Trilogy under Disney’s Lucasfilm. I’ve seen video essays explaining Lucas’s homages in cinematography, the way different story beats were intended to play out, and so on and so forth. But guys: ambition is not achievement. Intention doesn’t mean the results were perfect. Yes, there’s a lot of terrible, bad faith criticism of the Prequel Trilogy out there, but that doesn’t mean that they’re actually gold and that everything George Lucas did was gold.

With that out of the way, I do really like this movie. It’s got a ton more lightsaber duels, which is the main reason I am into Star Wars to begin with, and here those fights are fantastic (though apparently the original “drafts” of these fights, as revealed recently by choreographer Nick Gillard, were much more elaborate and cool).

It used to bug me when this was pointed out, but also… I mean, it IS kind of cool that Lucas managed to insert the symbolism of both of the final lightsaber duels: Anakin and Obi-Wan dueling in a hellish environment, and Yoda and Palpatine duking it out and wrecking the Senate while fighting over the fate of the Republic. Yeah, it’s heavy-handed, but it is still really cool. It’s not like Star Wars is always meant to be low-key. I mean, the “So this is how liberty dies…” line is far from subtle, and yet it works really, really well.

[Man, it feels wild seeing that in 2025, seeing a man declare he has to destroy the Republic and take power for himself in order to save the country, all the while being an obviously evil demagogue somehow having a strong public fanbase…anyhow.]

The effects still mostly hold up. Not in every bit: there are parts where the CGI is clearly just not as good, but overall? It’s a lot better than some of the stuff you’ll see today. 

Random question for the crowd: I recently saw in one of the YouTube videos from Sheev Talks where he posits that it’s implied that Anakin’s visions of Padme are sent by Palpatine. I never got that impression, nor is there any indication that he can even do that? But then again, he seemingly knows about them, and it’s totally the kind of dick move he would do if it let him manipulate him. I don’t know, you guys let me know what you think.

I am a bit torn on Anakin’s convictions. I think that what we’re meant to get is that he doesn’t really buy what Palpatine’s selling when he goes to the Dark Side, but he feels like he has to do this to save his wife. I think there’s even footage of Lucas telling Christensen this on set to help him with the scene. The problem is that he goes and spouts pro-Empire propaganda in contexts where it seems like he’s buying it. Why would he declare he’s so pro-Empire to Obi-Wan, when they both know this is BS?

Also, we should talk about Anakin killing kids. I’ve seen it argued that it’s going too far to make him cartoonishly evil, and that maybe they shouldn’t have had that, or at least not had him personally doing it (maybe oversee the clones doing it or something). I was inclined to agree, but then when preparing for this review, I saw one discussion that points out that we really need to show Anakin doing something unmistakably awful, especially if Obi-Wan is meant to view him as irredeemable.

So no, I don’t like it, but I do get it, I think. Anakin is so far gone, he seems like he can’t be redeemed–which is why Luke doing exactly that is such a big deal. And of course, Padme, who didn’t see security footage of Anakin butchering children, still believes there’s good in 

[Random aside: according to the movie’s art book, one of the ideas Lucas played with was that Padme’s pregnancy would be painful, as she’s carrying the children of the Chosen One, and they’re very powerful with the Force, so she had to go to Master Yoda for help with it. Obviously, this was discarded for the movie, but I think there is a line in there that feels different knowing this one tidbit.]

The music is fantastic. I have no complaints; when the movie ended, I stayed in the theater through the entire credits so I could hear the music again, and I have the soundtrack at home. John Williams truly is the shiz, and I think his work on Star Wars is some of the best of his career.

Maybe it’s not a perfect movie, maybe it fumbles a lot in trying to tell its story, but dang, what a story. What an attempt. George Lucas was trying to make the modern epic, and he does a darn memorable job of it. In a world where it seems like every major movie’s trying to make an endless franchise rather than an epic story, it’s strange and comforting to go back to a movie that’s the end of a trilogy. And yes, I get that Lucas was also building a franchise, but he did have a story he was trying to tell that was important to him.

I don’t know. Maybe that’s just nostalgia. But watching this was a throwback to what felt like a simpler time when movies felt more like seeing a spectacular story, not getting invested in franchises. At the very least, it’s pretty cool, as a Star Wars fan, to see how Lucas concluded his saga, completing the story of the Skywalker family.

[moophinz]

I’ve made a post on this already, but after acquiring heaps and reams of knowledge, I’ve decided to go at it again.

(From Mine’s TV Tropes page.)

I cannot stop anyone from wanting to view Mine as bi, and my intentions don’t lie there. But instead, I wanted to bring up that it hardly seems like the intentions of the devs and especially Yokoyama. Mine is a pretty big deal in being a heavily implied gay character regardless of having been a villain, partly due to how he’s just as masculine as his peers and his love for another man is a core part of his characterization where sympathy comes into play. On top of that, they do not shy away from heavy handed hints in his total lack of interest in women romantically and sexually.

Yokoyama is not only a non stranger to commentary on how much he loves Mine, but he’s also made remarks that imply he finds it funny that women are attracted to him though they can’t have him.

RGGO is particularly revealing about this thanks to how much room it gives to focus on character elements they couldn’t do in the actual games.

—A beach event in Okinawa has Kanda wanting to throw a party and see who between them can invite the most women. Mine is less than uninterested, but still winds up getting a few women interested in him. He can’t seem to outright reject them, but gives them very bland answers.

—This is a big trend in other Mine centric stories. Upon being asked by a woman if he’s by himself, he gives a slightly roundabout answer instead of outright saying anything more direct. He agrees to do something with her despite his ongoing lack of enthusiasm.

—As told, he’s gone on dates with women thanks to being unable to turn them down (he’s interestingly kind enough to women even though there’s some popular jokes about him being a misogynistic gay man). But if he sees a woman once, doesn’t really see them again. All in all, this is incredibly different from many other yakuza men who adore women as they slot into the three important status symbols: power, money, and women. All things that Mine brings up at the end of 3 as stuff that wasn’t really giving him any meaning or purpose in life. His line about having any woman he could want goes largely misunderstood. Especially after he ends that line with saying living life that way was a lie.

Comparing an outright love confession to Mine being thankful to have had Katase around feels almost laughable. On one hand, I’m at least glad the person who wrote this acknowledges the romantic feelings with Daigo, but on the other hand… “heavily implied?” With Katase? No… Not every meaningful statement or even so much as breathing the same air as one another between a man and woman is grounds for love.

Genuinely, it feels like they’ve done nearly everything but outright use any direct wording for his sexuality. He’s the only character they’ve gone this far with. Others get more vagueness or subtlety.

(From Majima’s)

(From Zhao’s)

I’ve talked to @04tenno quite a bit about this. And as usual, they’re the reason I know quite a bit, too.

Majima’s section is bizarre to me for immediately throwing out there that he’s a huge ladies’ man. (This was listed elsewhere in his section). Which is just… hilarious. Sure, plenty of irl female fans adore him, but in universe, he’s nothing of the sort and often interacts with women by using a more friendly tone of voice (probably to seem less intimidating) along with other behavioral changes. I also take up issue regarding the way the person who wrote this seems to completely downplay Majima and Kiryu’s relationship to the first game. But that’s a whole other conversation…

Zhao’s section feels incredibly different compared to the other two due to how the person writing it seems to completely lean into the potential signifiers and stereotypes surrounding him and includes other instances beyond that. There’s nothing about him being in a hostess club automatically meaning he’s attracted to women. As such, even a lot of dudebros seem to openly view Zhao as not being bisexual, but instead, straight up gay. This seems to be due to the fact that Zhao is never shown playing into the typical mainstream macho type stuff as opposed to Mine.

I didn’t take a screenshot, but Daigo even gets the assumed-to-be-into-women-because-he-was-next-to-one-treatment. While he went to hostess clubs, he looks so extremely despondent and out of the moment when we see him there. I can’t find it in me to assume he’s attracted to women just because he went to those types of clubs. His sexuality is totally up for debate as several others are as well. And we can all see him however we want. But, overall, immediately assuming things for such and such reasons starts to feel a little off to me. All in all, Mine gets this treatment the worse thanks to his sexuality actually being a big factor in his character.

[finisnihil]

god, I love your luocha posts.

I know, and I KNOW that hyv thinks that i would get luocha off my mind if they released a whole new planet n new quests...but it's not true. I'm so intrigued by that man and deep down I pray he doesn't turn out like otto. I love otto's character by all means, but at the same time I hope he's not just a rip-off, the story would be too repetitive. his relationship with the one in his coffin isn't exactly a close bond, his signature lightcone story confirms it, but the way the coffin responds to his caresses quite raises questions for me. he also made a "deal" about the coffin with someone, most likely in exchange of something, perhaps true immortality without the consequence of mara...or, even better, a cure for an illness. considering that his name isn't actually "luocha", and his name as we know it is only used by him inside of the xianzhou, it translates to "rakshasa/raksha" just like ggz otto's on his trip to the shenzhou. as far as I'm aware, the name raksha was given to otto by the characters because they weren't very familiar with europeans (?), correct me if I'm wrong. so, luocha might have some sort of illness, perhaps he's an emanator or a demon (reference to christianity perhaps) since the translation of his name "rakshasa" is a flesh eating demon from buddhist mythology.

jingliu said that they plan to "put the abundance in their grave" and i believe luocha's coffin plays a role in this. however, there's surely something alive inside his coffin already, which contradicts my theory.

personally, just like you said in your previous posts about that one relic set "knight of purity peace" or something similar if I'm not mistaken, he has ties to christianity, just like sunday, except that aspect of sunday isn't very subtle. I believe luocha might be motivated to achieve his goal of ending yaoshi by the destruction of his home planet. honestly, I hope it isn't like this, there are already characters driven by the desire of getting revenge, like nanook.

I'll be very glad if you responded to this, I want to know your opinion. I'm desperate to learn more about him, absolutely desperate. I may not know his lore, but I know for a reason that we luocha lovers share one braincell.

HELLO HI I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED!

First off I also hope he isn’t just Otto 2.0. I’ve said it before but I personally think what makes Luocha stand out to me is that he doesn’t seem to have as many strong ties to Kallen and as such so much of his character isn’t reliant on her. I really hope this is maintained because I like him and the independent traits he exhibits. He’s sus, yes, but he also goes out of his way to be kind in small ways with no intention of being repaid or recognized. Everyone calls him a villain because he’s an Otto Expy which I don’t care for because yes he is presented as possibly antagonistic but he isn’t villainous. Most of the other Expy’s got deviating characterizations and fates without compromising their foundational traits, I hope he does too.

Second off I don’t play HI3 but I know a little lore from research and I know Otto’s wiki noted that when he was a child he was kinda under house arrest because he was really sickly and his first meeting with Kallen was because she kinda climbed over the wall of the estate’s yard while he was being belittled by his brother for being outside instead of in bed resting and for being “weakly” and “fragile”. He does have an interest in immortality but we also see him condemn it somewhat because he has voicelines like this:

His stance on immortality is a bit murky but yeah.

Anyways onto analysis because bestie you have asked the question I’ve been hoping somebody would. Luocha definitely has a bunch of Christian allusions and symbolism and it leads me to believe he’s an Emanator. One of my first posts on this site was the theory that he’s an Emanator and I’ve yet to make a post fully analyzing his allusions BUT he has a ton and what’s most specific is that he has Jesus allusions. For example, one of his Eidolons is a literal reference to the crown of thorns. He uses his rosary to heal implying a connection to a higher power is where he gets this power which he confirms. Yaoshi hates death, pain, and suffering and Luocha emphasizes he isn’t a fighter even though he can hold his own. Even his sword shows it, it’s an Épée, a kind only really good for small-scale conflicts as it’s primarily used for fencing. The artifact set I noted might be connected to him also fuels this.

If you asked me I suspect he grew up in a church setting like Otto did but instead of everything in HI3 happening again, the church caught the attention of Yaoshi. Yaoshi’s blessing brought Mara as it does and in the process Yaoshi took a liking to Luocha, probably due to his sickly nature as Yaoshi hates suffering. The Maiden and her knight destroyed everything to stop the spread and Luocha was forced to watch as a final witness, no longer having a home and doomed to be hunted like his god who brought devastation through salvation. Of course I have more in-depth thoughts but that’s for a post.

As for who’s in the coffin… I’ve actually spent hours collecting everything we know about the coffin entity and I plan to make that a post too lol I have a lot of posts I need to make but! You’re right! A lot of people keep saying it’s the Stellaron, Kallen, etc but none of those things align with what information we have about it. Mihoyo’s done a good job of keeping it under wraps and I’m excited to see what it is. Whatever it is, Luocha is delivering it for somebody else and he intends to take it straight to the Ten Lords. I suspect it may be another entity of the Abundance like Shuhu, but I don’t think it’s Yaoshi. Whoever it is, they are able to kill Yaoshi or be used for it.

I also believe Luocha is the one stabilizing Jingliu’s Mara like how Kafka stabilizes Blade’s but I’m pretty sure that’s basically canon.

Anyways thank you for the ask!!!! I love Luocha dearly and I’m currently trying to get as many Eidolons as I can so the brainrot is strong. Rest assured I have more Luocha analysis for the future rattling around.

[hawkogurl]

Thank you so much for getting the actual concept of Jekyll and Hyde as written in the original novella versus the modern pop culture version of good half vs evil half right! It's one of those things where I get where the misinterpretation comes from, but it's so frustrating when people misattribute what the story was about to bolster their arguments - and even if it was about good versus evil rather than (lack of) responsibility, it wouldn't apply to Raimi!Norman anyway bc he wasn't originally written like that.

I've seen people try to argue post-NWH that Norman's final scene in the first Raimi film is the true good Norman coming out to genuinely plead with Peter before the Goblin takes over, but that's very much not how the scene plays out? He's so clearly setting up Peter's murder while luring him into a false sense of security and drops the mask once Peter rejects him and Norman no longer needs to manipulate him, and either way, the scene and Norman's characterization is far more interesting, complex, and works better as a foil for Peter if everything Norman does is intentional bc he symbolizes great power and no responsibility.

Exactly! Man if nobody else got me I know tumblr user spider-xan got me can I get an amen. It’s also frustrating because a lot of the scenes where people can argue it’s good Norman shining through are scenes where… Norman is being manipulative? Like as you said, the final scene where Norman is just trying to gain sympathy long enough to kill Peter as well as the scene where Harry and Norman talk near the end. Norman only shows Harry that affection once Harry has done something for him and given him information he considers useful. I’ve talked about this at length before but none of that shit is actually redeeming. I guess it speaks to Norman as a character that he manipulates so well he successfully manipulated half the audience.

It was also fucking wild to live in the post NWH world in which people would make jokes about Harry’s negative traits making it valid for Norman to clearly dislike and neglect him even if you’re gonna deny he abuses Harry. (Which. He abuses Harry. I’m not ever gonna say he doesn’t.) as if very explicitly Norman is not the origin for all the traits people don’t like in Harry.

[bookwyrminspiration]

OH ALSO, QUIL! heading off to class in a bit but i wanted to ask you real quick how was it to play around with tense with your tamarelliana fic and what was your intent with it? i LOVE a good technical writing question i would like to offer you this (<- person who tense-switches constantly when writing and has to fix it all the time so cannot tell when it happens with other people's writing 😭)

(the fic in question)

OKAY! Messing with tense is a relatively new thing I've been trying out, because we're always told stay in the same tense don't mix up your tenses--and for good reason! It can be very confusing if we don't follow the rules! BUT! another thing writers are told is that you learn a skill so you can skillfully break it at times for artistic effect. enter tense switches

The way I've been utilizing it is switching to present from past tense for highly emotional/intense moments. This intends to mirror how it feels to experience intense emotion, how visceral and rooted to the moment you are--e.g. a panic attack where all you can think of is right now and everything blurs around you like through a fog and you're so in the present and in yourself it's like your whole perception of the world briefly changes (based on my limited experience).

Most of the present tense scenes in your fic are the shadowflux dreams--which then become like waking dreams. The flux in being written in a different tense is then characterized as something distinctly other, powerful, overwhelming. It is so different from these characters that it cannot even be written in the same way--which then means we can also track how Tam fluctuates between being like the others and being other. The narrative itself treats him differently when he gives in, because now he and the shadowflux are in the same tense--he now has this power, this presence, this disconnect and fog separating him from everything. He's part of a different story and in doing it, losing part of the him that fits with Biana and Marella--until they bring him back to himself.

The intention was to add emphasis to that surrender. The very way he existed (as he only exists in writing), was altered by the tense switch and associated comparisons. And in a less symbolic way, it's intended to just highlight what's happening right then. In past tense everything has already happened, even though you're reading about it for the first time in the present; in present tense, it is happening as you are reading about it, which can shift perspective to heighten drama and intensity when directly juxtaposed against something distant in past tense before it. Tam wasn't lost to the flux, he is lost. Currently. Right now, as you're reading it, he is dreaming and reaching for more. Which is different in tone and immediacy compared to Marella and Biana, who were stealing each others clothes and kissing.

I don't know how much sense this makes, but this is the general thought process. Both to heighten emotion by making you more in the moment--which has more oomph when juxtaposed against past tense rather than writing the whole thing in present--and by creating a distinction between Them and Other that can be used to track Tam's fluctuation between the two. At least that was the intention/theory behind it--who knows if it actually landed/was interpreted that way :)

[justtaponblr]

What are some of the significant rituals of a Christian wedding?

Introduction

Divinity wrapped in love, vows sealed with promise—christian wedding rituals are an ageless tapestry composed of faith, tradition, and mirth. From continent to continent and culture to culture, this religious matrimony is a formal, symbolic sequence of ceremonies, each reflecting centuries of religious practice and cultural adaptation.

The Sacred Union: A sight into Christian Matrimony

A Christian wedding is more than a legal commitment of two parties—it is an agreement in front of God. Grounded on Christ's teaching, the wedding ceremony emphasizes love, sacrifice, and respect for each other. It keeps going the faith in the organization that marriage is called by God and not just an imposition of the society.

Pre-Wedding Rituals: Where It All Begins

Engagement Ceremony

The engagement is the formal announcement of intent. Although it's more secular in nature now, the practice still involves ring exchanging and family blessings, usually leading to prayer sessions.

The Rehearsal Dinner Tradition

Hosted a day or two prior to the wedding, this close-knit dinner unites families and the wedding party. It is both a rehearsal and an opportunity to bond and be thankful.

The Venue: From Churches to Breathtaking Escapes

Traditional Church Weddings

A quaint local church or an old-fashioned cathedral—this has been the traditional choice. coloured glass windows, solemn organ music, and a hallowed atmosphere characterize this venue.

The Appeal of a Destination Wedding in Melbourne

Melbourne has become a top choice for couples planning a Destination Wedding in Melbourne. Its scenic vineyards, heritage churches, and cosmopolitan vibe make it an intriguing combination of tradition and excitement.

The Wedding Day: A Sacred Celebration

The Processional

When the first notes of the wedding march are played, the bride comes in—radiant, veiled, with her father beside her. This is sometimes a highly emotional moment and signifies the bride's leave-taking from the home of her parents to her new life.

The Groomsmen's and Bridesmaids' Functions

Dressed in coordinated attire, this group provides emotional and practical support. As witnesses and moral advisers to the couple, traditionally, they also play this function.

The Ring Ceremony: An Eternal Circle

A symbol known across the world, the ring—put on the fourth finger—is believed to be directly linked to the heart. A ring, representing boundless love, has no end or beginning.

Scripture Reading and Prayers

There are specific Bible verses that are read aloud, providing spiritual wisdom. From the Bible, readings are sometimes taken from Corinthians or Proverbs, usually followed by intercessory prayers.

The Unity Candle Ceremony

Two taper candles, which are lit by both families, are then used to light a centerpiece candle in unison—two becoming one. This lovely ceremony is not required but is very popular.

The Holy Communion

Some denominations involve the couple receiving Holy Communion, symbolizing not only their union with each other but with Christ as well.

The First Kiss as a Married Couple

One moment of sheer magic and merriment, the first kiss emphasizes the emotional peak of the ceremony—often greeted with applause and happy cheers.

Signing the Marriage Register

Witnesses and the couple affix their signatures to the marriage document. The legal process is performed with gravity, sometimes backed by light instrumental music.

The Recessional: Departure of the Newlywed Couple

Beaming smiles mark the exit of the couple together, escorted by the wedding entourage. Bubbles, confetti, or flower petals precede their jubilant departure.

Reception Rituals

Wedding Toasts

The family and friends raise their glasses in a toast to the new couple, bringing heartfelt words, witty jokes, and memories.

First Dance

This tender moment, traditionally choreographed, is an emblem of rhythm and harmony in unison. It's a feeling of shared happiness.

Cutting the Cake

The two, a representative of shared accountability, both cut the wedding cake and share a bite of it with each other—a sweet beginning to their lives.

Bouquet and Garter Toss

A lighthearted tradition, the bride tosses her bouquet to a single woman, as does the groom with the garter. It's believed to bring good fortune in love to the catcher.

Regional and Cultural Fusions

Comparison with Assamese Wedding Rituals Prior to Wedding

Although assamese wedding rituals before wedding commonly feature colorful practices such as joron (gifting) and naal puja (cleansing ceremonies), Christian wedding rituals are very spiritual and austere. Nevertheless, most contemporary weddings borrow practices from both cultures, particularly in cross-cultural marriages.

[thekimspoblog]

Mouthwashing: Brilliant or just in bad taste? Cus I lean towards the latter honestly.

,

Yesterday 4:48 PM

I actually really liked the game

I don't think it was brilliant

And yeah parts can be in bad taste but it's meant to be

You play as someone who is an asshole

And everyone else has deep character flaws

You

,

Yesterday 4:49 PM

Something about how Anya is written just really bothers me.

,

Yesterday 4:49 PM

But I'd like to hear more details

Yes

Same

Actually I drew her a whole bunch lwt me see if I can find my drawings

She's kind of like a foil of casca from berserk and both have serious issues as characterizations and being problematic

You

,

Yesterday 4:57 PM

The thing is the first playthrough I watched, the sexual assault stuff went over my head. But what's interesting is when you realize how little it would actually change. If anything, I think the story worked better for me when I mistakenly believed the relationship between Anya and Jimmy was consensual. Because in that reading of events, the centipede pony fetus thing at the end represents something which COULD have been positive turned monstrous by capitalist neglect and Jimmy's reckless refusal to take responsibility. But if it's just a rape baby symbolizing a rapist's fears of facing consequences for his actions.

,

Yesterday 5:01 PM

Wait wait it wasn't consensual

Because I thought it was

It's just he didn't want the baby and then became emotionally abusive and potentially physically abusive

You

,

Yesterday 5:02 PM

Ok so I'm not dumb then. Cus I needed Tumblr to tell me. But it's on the wikia and was apparently authorial intent.

,

Yesterday 5:02 PM

She was already poor and stranded and her dreams dead and knew that their relationship was our of convenience and he didn't really love her beyond that

So she did what she did

After hurting the kid

Something I relate to deeply..

Wait what?

No way because that was not at all clear

You

,

Yesterday 5:04 PM

Yeah that's how I read it all too. But nope. Anya says something half way through about "Why aren't there locks on the sleeping quarters?

,

Yesterday 5:04 PM

Must be something that needs multiple playthroughs?

That doesn't mean rape does it?

Like you can just lock yourself in your room for peace from yelling

You

,

Yesterday 5:05 PM

Apparently the thing about giving Curly his meds was symbolism.

,

Yesterday 5:05 PM

Which he did a lot of with her

Oh what the fuck? How?

You

,

Yesterday 5:06 PM

Ugh. I hate typing this out. Because if you're like me, this is gonna ruin the game for you.

,

Yesterday 5:06 PM

She wanted to tell Curly something and I assumed it was about implied abuse in an otherwise consensual relationship

But

What the fuck

Oh I need to hear it.

I'm just tired of rape being the go to trauma for women

Do I think it wss a relationship where she was pressured into sex at times? Yes

But that it wasn't like that until later in the relationship before he became entirely disinterested

You

,

Yesterday 5:08 PM

The (confirmed) fan theory goes that this is the reason Anya gets so upset when she hears the gagging sounds is because it reminds her of what happened.

,

Yesterday 5:09 PM

Ooooh

You

,

Yesterday 5:09 PM

I dunno. To me it feels like just trying to shock.

,

Yesterday 5:12 PM

Yeah

I agree

That is not at all clear

And yeah even if a relationship started out consensual if i There was any unwanted act like the gagging or choking we see in a lot of straight porn.. yeah that's rape. Just not in the way I initially envisioned

But it's still in awful taste

Like I can relate to that

Unwanted sexual contact in an otherwise consensual relationship

And that feels violating and confusing

So it wasn't just overtly straight to rape of colleague right away, there wss some more of a buildup to it so it's less egregious imo

But yeah it can be a good story despite that one thing in bad taste

You

,

Yesterday 5:22 PM

Maybe I just have internalized misogyny, but I didn't even pick up on most of the abuse. On the one hand Jimmy is definitely harsh with her. But without context (and I guess that was the point; I just have mixed feelings about the art's decision to do this) we enter a situation where a ship is barely surviving, an unpleasant job needs doing, the nurse is too much of a nervous wreck, and the second-in command is aggravated but does it anyway.

I think the game's aesthetic is a deliberate choice to make the social interactions more ambiguous and harder to read. Anya might be recently traumatized but the little we know about her backstory - yes another character is insulting her - implies she probably wouldn't have had the stomach for this disaster even if she wasn't dealing with her own problems.

,

Yesterday 5:24 PM

I think it's supposed to be ambiguous

You

,

Yesterday 5:33 PM

And I just gotta ask: Girl, where is your IUD? Did you know you were going on a three year space trip with four guys? If you come across xenomorphs you're fucked but regular human males we have some lines of defense against. This isn't me blaming the victim; this is me saying I don't think the writers put enough thought into writing this character. Within the logic of the story, Anya isn't to blame Pony Express is. But that's the thing; this twist reduces the whole story to a mean spirited anecdote about how this whole thing could have been avoided if the company just wasn't too cheap to put locks on the doors. Which I guess is in like with the absurdity of a small group of people being put through hell just to deliver toiletries to a planet. But... okay??? What am I supposed to say to that.

*in line

,

Yesterday 5:51 PM

I wouldn't get an IUD for that purpose.

Like

That's what makes me think

That it was a happy relationship at first

Then he took things out on her, because of his self hatred

Verbal, mental, physical and sexual abuse.

So initially maybe she wss happy about the pregnancy and willing go overlook some of the abuse

Because you know...as we are taught to do

You

,

Yesterday 5:56 PM

I mean my assumption was that none of these characters knew each other up until shortly before launch. And consensual or not, of course five people trapped in a metal box for years are going to hook up. If I was suing Pony Express, I'd say that was totally foreseeable. I want to believe things were amicable for the first year or so. But it kind of doesn't matter: you can't give birth in space.

You

,

Yesterday 6:08 PM

That's what I think the story does do well: demonstrating how capitalism leaves people for dead. Like even in an alternate universe where this relationship was as healthy as it could have been and Jimmy didn't try to get everyone killed, what were they supposed to do? Even if Anya survived, even if the baby survived, they're arriving on a shitty planet and now they have no job, no healthcare, and no way to get back. Even if Jimmy wasn't a scumbag, this world grinds family values beneath its heel. That's dark enough. But if that's dark enough, why make Jimmy a scumbag?

You

,

Yesterday 6:19 PM

It's been a while since I watched a playthrough. And one reason I'm venting all this to you is because I do think a lot of the video essays about Mouthwashing on YouTube are cringe. But if I remember, Jimmy and Curly had a history where Curly found Jimmy this job. Whatshisface the fat guy had worked for Pony Express for years. But the point is I don't remember the story implying Jimmy and Anya had a long history preceding that trip.

,

Yesterday 7:01 PM

Because even if everything is against you systematically, we still have some responsibility in how we deal with it. It's an important thing I'm grappling with.

It's obvious to not be a shitty person. But it is easier said than done

He ran away from that responsibility

Actively took things out on Anya and Curley and used others like the kid as participants

Only Swansea called him out on things

You

,

Yesterday 7:03 PM

Characters acting erratically is a double edged sword for me. Done right, it can be really compelling if it's properly built up to. But I also am keenly aware of how writers can use it as a crutch to make conflict happen.

,

Yesterday 7:04 PM

I think this crew was set for a while. Was this their first trip together? I don't recall

As far as I remember Jimmy was gotten the job by curly but there seems to have been time for these relationships to develop over a year at least

You

,

Yesterday 7:05 PM

I remember they've been in space for over a year already when the crash happened.

,

Yesterday 7:06 PM

All of which was orchestrated by Jimmy

So we can see why these things developed

[aamaranthiine]

Send ✋ for a prompt/plot/concept/ anything you refuse to role play

Send 🔍 for something you look for on other’s blogs

Send 😊 for likable quality for a role play mun to have

Send 🔪 for a fandom you refuse to associate with

munday symbol meme. ohh, thank you for sending them!

✋ || one particular plot i really dont vibe with due to past experiences is cheating/infidelity in established ships. unfortunately, ive had partners in the past play this out and not communicate with me oocly about it. at all. so their muses cheated on my muse and expected me to be okay with it oocly. and i wasnt. there's a time and place for such things, but im just not into that whole idea as a source for drama.

🔍 || another thing i look for on different blogs is their aesthetics and how they write. the former being just cos i like to appreciate how people theme their blogs to their muses. and the latter? to see if the way they write/compose their muses because im always curious about how others perceive and characterize them.

😊 || a likeable quality i look for in other muns? how open they are to chatting outside of rp. being interactive and friendly to talk about other interests and about their day. i want to get to know the people i write with and be their friend! it doesnt have to be daily chats but like, once / a few times a week is just nice.

🔪 || generally, i avoid fandoms that i am unfamiliar or uninterested in. its not a flat out refuse, but i dont want to write in settings i dont know well enough / dont have any intention of getting into. ive not had any negative experiences on tumblr around fandoms though!