#Arson for the Greater Good

[andysanimation]

@pmseymourva

I don’t know if this is intentional or not, but these showing on my page next to one another is a form of comedy 10 steps ahead

[khattikeri]

drives me nuts when people treat jin guangyao or wei wuxian like they're socialist revolutionaries like no! they're not!! in fact their respective roles in society and complacency regarding its hierarchies is why ANY of the story even happens to begin with!!!

jin guangyao doesn't hold bitterness just because he was born lower class. he is bitter because others deride him and his prostitute mother in spite of both their intelligence, skills, and efforts to climb the ladder.

why do you think we were shown scenes of other prostitutes in the brothel deriding meng shi for being literate, for "trying" so hard? why do you think we were shown scenes of anxin taunting meng yao and throwing shit at him because he was trying to learn cultivation at his mother's behest?

why do you think jin guangyao arranged for the arson of that brothel, burned to the ground with everyone except sisi inside? that's not the behavior of someone who believes in true equality and the inherent worth of sex workers as human beings!

that's the behavior of someone who thinks he's better than them. the behavior of a man who already came up on top through political games and war crimes, backstabbing and spying for the sake of the "greater good".

i won't rehash his argument to nie mingjue that he didn't have a choice-- he had some choice, but no matter what he does his class will come up and people will always assume the worst and try to hurt him for it, which forces his hand to do whatever will protect him best (hence 'no choice').

jin guangyao did everything he could to secure his own safety and a place among those already higher up. and by that point, he'd won it.

the fact that the temple rebuilt on the brothel site is to guanyin, the goddess of mercy, is even more ironic! the fact that jin guangyao has the goddess's statue carved to look like his own mother is proof that he viewed both her and himself as higher than them. more worthy than them.

of course he cared about the general welfare of others (read: the watchtowers). but consider also that there is no watchtower near yi city, which ended up being one of xue yang's playgrounds. jin guangyao can and will turn a blind eye to certain sufferings if it is convenient to him.

sure, jin guangyao made undeniable contributions to cultivation society and accessibility, but he is not at any point trying to topple existing class structures. his adherence to them is in fact integral to his own downfall in the end.

it brings with it the inevitability of society conveniently ignoring his triumphs and genuine moments of humanity to deride him once more as an evil, disgusting son of a whore once his crimes come to light.

now for wei wuxian. he's the righteous protagonist of the story and he doesn't give a fuck what society thinks, yes, but he wasn't out there trying to cause an uprising so that all the poor servant classes and lower could become cultivators. he wasn't trying to redistribute wealth or insinuate that those who are lower deserve to be viewed as equal to the gentry.

the most critical and non-explicitly stated fact of mo dao zu shi is that wei wuxian has always been resigned to his position in the social hierarchy.

his unreliable narration, especially regarding his own past and thoughts, is so damn important. he doesn't EVER tell the reader directly that people treated him any which way at their leisure because of his parents' differing social classes.

no. instead we are shown how much prestige he is afforded as cangse-sanren's son-- reputation as a talented and charming young cultivator, made head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang-- and how little respect he is given in the same breath, as the son of servant wei changze.

the way he is treated by others is as fickle as the wind. if he obeys and does as told, there is no reward. of course he did that, that was the expectation to start with! if he does anything even slightly inconvenient, there is a punishment. of course he has no manners, what else would you expect from an ungrateful son of a servant?

wei wuxian's righteousness is not a matter of adhering to principles he was explicitly taught, the way nie mingjue values honor or the way jiang cheng always tries to prove himself. wei wuxian does the right thing regardless of what the consequences are to him because his good deeds are always downplayed and his bad deeds are always singled out, no matter who or how many people were doing it with him.

he has faced this double standard since childhood. there are points in the novel where it's clear that this sticks out to wei wuxian, but does he ever fight back against that view of himself? does he EVER, at any point in the story, explain his actions and choices to jianghu society and try to debate or appeal to their sense of reason?

no. because he knows, at his very core, that any explicit deviation from their interests whatsoever will be punished.

slaughtering thousands of people is fine when they want him to do it, and when the alternative is unjust torture, re-education camps, and encroachment upon other sects' lands.

slaughtering thousands of people who are trying to paint him as evil for not going along with their genocidal plans, however, is punished.

wei wuxian knows his acceptance among the higher classes is superficial and unsteady. from the age of 10, when jiang fengmian took him in, he knew subconsciously that he could be kicked out at any time.

he knows that cultivation society doesn't care about war crimes and concentration camps and mistreatment of the remaining wen survivors of the sunshot campaign. but the right thing to do now that they aren't at wartime is to help them, plus they'd punish him either way for it, so he will.

in this regard wei wuxian is more self-aware of his position than jin guangyao. he does care about common people and he does try his best to help them as an individual. even if that ends up with him disabled, arrested, targeted in sieges, or dead.

but is he revolutionary? in the full equality, fight the establishment, rewrite laws, change social structures and people's perceptions of class sense?

no. no. he isn't.

now my knowledge of chinese society and history is fairly limited to my hindu diaspora upbringing and our shared cultural similarities ... but speaking to what i absolutely know us true, adherence to one's social class is expected.

this is rigid. efforts and merits might bring you some level of mobility, but in the end, the circumstances of your birth will always be scrutinized first, and your behavior compared to the stereotypes of where and how you originate.

mdzs is not about revolution, and none of its characters are able to truly change its society. there is no grand "maybe cutsleeves aren't inherently bad" or "i'm sorry for persecuting you and believing hearsay, you were truly a good person all along!" at the finale.

people ignore history and repeat it again with the next batch of ugly gossip and rumors.

wei wuxian, lan wangji, and luo qingyang find peace only by distancing themselves from cultivation society and its opinions.

jin guangyao and wei wuxian both cannot ever escape from others' perception of their origins and actions. regardless of their personal beliefs, they are not revolutionaries.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Well, now it’s time for the boys to cheer YOU up bud :)

-

Angeal: Hang in there, Pumpkin. You’re tough and steady. You have all the makings of an honorable warrior and deserve to see victory and dreams full-filled. You are weathering a brutal winter now, but spring is around the corner. You’ll see the sunlight and warm rain on the beautiful green earth once again. Stay strong ✊

Sephiroth: I have found that pushing Hojo down flights of stairs can be very good for improving one’s mental state.

Genesis: Remember, we are all apart of a grander tale that is wont to weave complex paths and dark trials for us along the way, but if you keep the inner flame and passion of your soul alight and remember that there is even glory and poetry in suffering for a greater cause, then you will triumph, darling. *blows kiss*

Sephiroth: Arson isn’t necessarily illegal if nobody sees you doing it…

Zack: HEY LISTEN UP! You are gonna KICK ASS and be an even MORE BADASS person for facing these tough times like you are, ok buddy? I BELIEVE IN YOU! Hell you could probably knock out a whole entire bahamut with how tough you are! Just hold on a bit longer and you’ll see!! Life will get awesome again 😎

Sephiroth: If you have a mother, you might benefit from receiving a hug from her.

Cloud: Hey uhhh…I’m not…very good at this but just wanted to say uhh…it’s rough out here but I think we’re gonna make it out alive…you know? Ah jeez. That probably sounded too dramatic sorry. Anyway uhh good luck with your journey, bud.

Sephiroth: Angeal is telling me I need to say something genuinely helpful and not murderous. I suggested McDonald’s but he does not appear to approve.

Sephiroth: Hmm.

Sephiroth: One time Genesis bought a jar of something called “The Goddess’s Bathwater” off of Ebay.

Genesis: IT WAS A FUCKING COLOGNE FUCK YOU

If this were not the internet I would show you the TEARS STREAMING DOWN MY FACE RIGHT NOW 😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️💞💞💞

How are you this sweet??? Thank you so so Soo much 🥹💖 This is genuinely the first time I've laughed in a few days ❤️

[heraldofcrow]

Writing a little rant to my friends helped me realize what types of villains really speak to me, and I guess it’s the type I have jokingly called the “INFP” villain.

Basically this meme:

Lmao, basically the character will be SO mentally ill and fucked up because of things they’ve endured + a very specific collapse of identity, but they refuse to even see it. They think they’re cured and on the right path, they have a brilliant purpose, a well-thought out philosophy behind their motives, but their evil actions are obviously just their overblown reaction to what preceded their mental break. EVERYTHING IS FINE AND I AM DOING THIS FOR A GOOD REASON, TRUST!

*is murdering people* I think I first started to like it when I watched this Azula scene as a kid. It was too perfect jddhdh. She was my fav for a reason.

Even when I was small, I heard this and thought, “Girl shut the hell up, your entire life is a sob story 💀” but it’s obvious she is so blind that this doesn’t even register in her mind. It’s very human and real.

It’s not even one of those multi-layered complexes you observe in that type of toxic person with a very comfortable and positive life who will say, “I’m one of those people that smiles through the pain” but they say it so much that you start to realize they are pulling some manipulative strings with their audience.

Half the time, the characters like Azula actually believe their own lies about them not being upset about shit and preach these lies so well that other people believe them. People still think Azula was this child who was born evil and sadistic, that she doesn’t give a shit about her family issues, and that she was not shaped into a monstrous fighter that she felt she had to embrace as her image. They forget that she lies constantly, even to herself, and her saying “I really don’t care about my background” is just another falsehood she crafted in her head.

It’s this type of villain that is so high off of their own copium to the point where they can’t see how badly they need help that is most intriguing to me. They commit war crimes out of obvious rage, but noooo, there is a good reason! Look they’re even having fun and laughing about it! They’re having the time of their life!

Them: I’m not wrong! This isn’t personal! It’s for the greater good!

Narrator: It was, in fact, very personal.

That’s also why the traumatic events that shape them are important, but not key! Because in the end, it needs to be clear that this character is capable of choosing the right thing despite their background, but they are so emotionally disturbed that they end up choosing evil with a “moral justification” so that they have an excuse to lash out. They know they shouldn’t lash out, but a mix of lies, manipulation, and ultimately conscious choice lead them to feel comfortable doing it. They WANT to take out their anger on the world, but they can never admit to the obvious reason why.

This is also where the madness comes in, because crafting a new identity or purpose that allows you to feel okay to lash out practically requires a certain level of madness, instability, and delusion. If the character was ever a morally conscious person, they have to completely break off from that rationality to allow themselves to fully embrace cruelty and evil. They have to lose their minds.

This is, to me, also what Jinx does in Arcane when she accepts her “cursed name” as her new identity. She embraces the monster as a shield, which is acknowledged to be a “reborn” version of herself that is stronger than her true self….the broken inner child. She is perhaps the most honest about this choice, but she still fully believes the lie that it’s the right choice, or the superior choice. It also seems to mark the turning point for her madness. You can’t embrace a monstrous persona and not break your mind doing it. Circumstances may help, but overall it’s still something you choose.

In short, a character standing in front of their intentional arson like, “I am no longer mentally ill” is my favorite type of fucked up character lol. Ever. That will win me over every time because it’s too believable and horrible and sad and funny and entertaining all at once.

[crescentpaws]

i think fintan’s main motivation(s) can be boiled down to:

- “the ends justify the means” — knows what he’s doing (the murdering people) is wrong but believes it’s for the greater good of the elvin world. if people get in his way he must eliminate them; it’s nothing personal it’s just the easiest and quickest way to remove obstacles (like what happened with cyrah… in that case the starstones/elysian being kept a secret was more important to him than her living)

- in the case that he DOES enjoy murdering people though, i think it would be because it gives him a sense of control, which is something he probably hasn’t experienced since the pyrokinesis ban. i think this would apply to all his other crimes too….. over-indulging in the self-expression he was previously denied due to the ban (and especially since suppressing an ability seems to be extremely difficult, and he was forced to do that for centuries, all the arson would probably feel cathartic) sort of a “fuck you, you can’t control me anymore” vibe. this is why he’s always up front taking part in all his big schemes instead of hiding in the shadows and making the other neverseen members do it. he needs to control everything. (plus in stellarlune sophie mentions that his emotions are likely to be all over the place, which stina says will only make them stronger and easier for her to read. and we know elemental abilities (pyrokinesis especially) are influenced by emotions, so of course the more his mind deteriorates the harder it will be for him to control his ability. he probably knows this, which is why he’s being so destructive all at once. he wants to feel a sense of control while he still can)

- similar to the previous point but not quite the same: he craves the power and respect he used to have as a councillor. he went from beloved world leader to Most Hated Guy On Earth ™ in one night, and i’m sure that wasn’t an easy transition. we know he’s tired of being treated like shit because of his ability, especially because he used to be so loved. he is going to do whatever it takes to make sure people still recognize him as a powerful figure. he is going to scream and bite and leave claw marks on everything he touches because he will not let this opportunity slip through his fingers again. he will not be cast away and forgotten!! not this time!!!!! prime example of “if i can’t be respected, then i will be feared”

and then there’s the good old fashioned revenge

[kazperthegh0st]

RaTing TMA season 1 episodes

001: Angler Fish, the cigarette and disappearance one. Not very memorable. 5/10

002: Do Not Open, the will power this one man contains is greater than God, i swear. I probably would have opened that coffin tbh. 10/10

003: Across the Street, to be Grahm or Not to be Grahm, that is the question. Eating paper is not really my thing but you do you. 8/10

004: Page Turner, kinda boring to me but it introduces important people. 4/10

005: Thrown Away, it reminds me of that one short FNAF story where the girl finds her real body cut up in garbage bags. I liked this episode. 9/10

006: Squirm, I have no memory of this episode. 2/10

007: The Piper, All i remember is rats, a dead dude in a dumb ditch, and The Great War. It was a good read tho. 4/10

008: Burned Out, There was a Spooky Tree, an apple, and a box ( i think it had a necklace in it??). There is also the religious dude— i think hes also the jesuit dude that killed two people in a later episode but i could be wrong. 5/10

009: A Fathers Love, this one was so sad to me ngl. I have two questions: What happened to the mother (i know she died but theres gotta be more)? and also whats the necklace all about ( i might be crazy but wasn’t it in the box in burned out?)? I do think the dad is somehow innocent, like he was possessed or smth. 10/10

010: Vampire Killer, this was a cool, fun episode and I enjoyed the different approach to Vampires. 9/10

011: Dreamer, We hear some new stuff about what happened to Jon’s predecessor, outside of that its an ok episode. Elias is mentioned. 5/10

012: First Aid, don’t remember this episode at all but i looked at the episode tag on here and Gerry is in it so on principle it gets a 5/10

013: Alone, my mind is so blank about this episode. Jon was nice tho. 2/10

014: Piecemeal, i don’t remember it well but Tumblr tells me it was good. 5/10

015: Lost Johns’ Cave, this reminded me of those tiktok videos about idiots who get stuck in caves. But at the same time this episode was deeply unsettling and sad. 10/10

016: Arachnophobia, proof that spiders do not die no matter what you do. Lazy ass cat ( Major Tom, great name, unintended David Bowie reference ) 8/10

***All previous thoughts were made well after the episodes were read so i could be wrong or forgetful regarding some details.***Future thoughts will be made immediately after, or the same day as reading the episodes.***

017: The Boneturners Tale, more of the weird books. I think there was arson in this episode (?) 5/10

018: The Man Upstairs, This one was absolutely disgusting (in a good way?!?!) it made me want to throw up but at the same time was sooo cool. 8/10

019: Confession and 020: Desecrated Host, putting these two together. Why is there such a strong theme of cannibalism and removal of body parts in this podcast? It was really interesting and well written. 8/10

021: Freefall, not that interesting to me ngl. It wasnt bad tho 5/10

022: Colony, MARTIN!!! A real character! He is a sweet innocent baby who can do no wrong. The episode itself was super unsettling. Who is the woman again tho?

023: Schwartzwald, this was boring, sorry. I know i should have found it more interesting cause its a letter for Jonah Magnus but it just wasn’t appealing to me. 2/10

024: Strange Music, I love the aesthetic of Pipe Organs, always have. (Why is it now in the institute?!?!) the creepy dolls and the circus clowns were cool. I love that the movers came back again, kinda odd but thats expected. 10/10

025: Growing Dark, not too memorable but there is now another missing person. (Yay). 4/10

026: A Distortion, SASHA!!! Another Real Character! Nothing had better happen to Jon or Martin or else. I love them too much. Micheal seems interesting too. 8/10

027: A Sturdy Lock, the first episode I listened to while reading the transcript. Is there or is there not a lock on that door? Bro should invest in a pet tho. Average episode but still good. 7/10

028: Skin Tight, wasn’t Cambridge Military Hospital in another episode? Also who is the archivist? The voice ( im listening and reading ) is different from Jon’s and is not female so not Gertrude. Sarah Baldwin is also a familiar name. Skin peeling. Lovely. (Sarcasm) 10/10

029: Cheating Death, reminds me of 007. I think its neat that the person making the statement had the Institute write it for him. This was a cool story. I like how much of it was a folktale and then it took a turn. 10/10

030: The killing floor, oh the delights of the meat industry. What was up with Tom Haan tho? Why did he kill himself? Why is there a living meat pile?!?! 10/10

Shortly after listening to that episode i made steak. While making steak i listened to the next two.

031: First Hunt, I kept thinking of that “Run Rabbit” song. Im glad humans dont have natural predators. But as an American (unfortunately) as soon as I heard where this was and the guy made note of the whistling… I knew he was screwed. Jon is so dissmissive tho. First episode where i only listened to it. 10/10

I have no idea why the previous story made me decide to cook steak.

032: Hive, this wasn’t much of a real statement but proof that Jane is crazy. It was just “insects do be buzzing” the noises in the background were upsetting. (Listened only while cooking a steak) 10/10

033: Boatswain’s Call, We meet Peter Lukas ( who may or may not be Elias’s Husband? I saw it in a Tiktok ) and I think it was slightly unsettling how they all loaded into the lifeboat. Did they vote the dude out or something? (Read and listened) 8/10

034: Anatomy Class, body snatchers named John/Jane Doe traumatize a professor. I love how they’re all trying to pump their hearts to figure out how they’re supposed to beat. Im a big fan of anatomical sciences. (Read only) 10/10

035: Old Passages, It’s Gerry on the hunt for Leitners books! Another dead person and some secret passages. What happened to Jon. Why did the Delivery Duo Dudes show up with a package for him??? (Read only) 10/10

036: Taken Ill, the episode itself was boring to me but the end was interesting. Why is there a lighter, that i assume has connections to The Web? What does Elias want with it? (Read only) 7/10

037: Burnt Offering, boring. Sorry. Could the wicca and voodoo stuff in the woods be related to Jane? (Read only) 5/10

038: Lost and Found, This was Sad. Important things go missing, more so they cease to exist, until eventually its the Husband. Jons fear of spiders returns. And now for the end of Season 1. (Read only) 10/10

039: Infestation, I did find it funny when Jon called himself an idiot. Martin just needs to let my boy Jon be in (SEVERE) denial. Jon is being watched (the eye!) Tim is so excited that he almost died. Its odd. Oooh its Not Sasha! “Archivist.” “Shit.” (I listened to it and then read the transcript) 9/10

040: Human Remains, what did Not Sasha do with the tape… I do know what happened to Gertrude so Elias acting the way he does in this scene is funny. (I listened to it then read the transcript) 9/10

Really good podcast. I liked it.

— are the secret passages from 038 connected in anyway to the tunnels around the archives?

— what was it that got sasha in the end and is real sasha dead?

— does gerard start to pop up more often? As an actual cast member?

— what was Jane looking for in the written files?

[miralines]

actually I also want to talk about the mechs’ approaches to the concept of good and evil and why literally none of them are anywhere near good

under the cut because it got so so long

I truly believe there was a point in Jonny’s life when he wanted to be good. That time was a decade past even by the time he met Carmilla. I think Jonny learned pretty early on that good was not an option for him, which soon morphed into a deeply-held belief that good is not something he is capable of. In reaction to this, he leans heavily into being terrible (see Interview Transcript). He believes there are good things and evil things (and plenty of ambiguity as well), and he finds good admirable, if uncommon and more than a little naive, but I think he fundamentally believes that any part of him that might have once been good was broken beyond repair before he became a teenager.

Nastya, on the other hand, views herself as capable of goodness. Sometimes. If she’s lucky and not missing anything and nothing goes wrong (see the storming of the Winter Palace). She even tried, post-mechanization, to continue to be good. But between the events leading up to her death and the unending horrors that followed, she came to the conclusion that good is not worth it. Good gets you hurt or killed or blows up in ways that make things even worse. She keeps to herself, looks out for herself and her own, and will actively hurt anyone else (because given the chance, they’ll almost certainly eventually do the same).

In a similar vein, Ashes probably figured out “good” doesn’t get you anywhere by the time they were eight. Good got you taken advantage of or killed. They do value loyalty-- if you’ve formed a relationship with someone and you value it, you will help them out, or at least not sell them out (cough mickey). This is honestly more pragmatism than anything, though-- they had no issue leaving Daedalus to die, despite having a “deal.” Mostly it applies to people they’re stuck with. Not betraying people makes things much easier when you have to spend a lot of time around those people. Do they care, in some weird way, deep down? Yes. Are they personally hurt by betrayal? Also yes. But for them, it’s the consequence of picking the wrong person to do business with, and bad things happening is as natural a force as stars shining-- including when they’re the person doing the bad things.

I think Ivy actually values good and sees it both as a desirable trait and one she’s capable of. She just has... a really skewed view of what constitutes good. A combination of trauma, personality, and the inevitable corruption of immortality have led her to an extremely utilitarian set of ethics (”for the greater good”). The “greater good” is very often preservation of knowledge, and that comes above everything else-- human life, continued existence of planets, etc. I firmly believe that at least once, the mechs have been on a planet where some authority was trying to destroy Terrible Knowledge before it could make it into the hands of their enemies, and Ivy brought it to those enemies for the sake of keeping it known. This may have led to the destruction of the whole planet, but at least the survivors fleeing from the wreckage still had the records! Ivy’s perspective is so zoomed out that most petty immoral actions (murder, theft, whatever the hell “neuro-arson” is) don’t really register as important one way or another.

Brian. Brian is a master of moral justifications. His two settings correspond to the most extreme possible version of the moral philosophies they represent: EJM Brian might destroy an entire planet to prevent the possibility of an interplanetary epidemic, whereas MJE Brian might give corrupt authorities the information that leads to mass arrests and executions because it would be wrong to lie to them. Also I think he enjoys coming up with these justifications and playing with being the moral equivalent of the monkey’s paw.

As far as the Toy Soldier is concerned, it’s not a person. Good and evil are person things. It’s exempt. I very much read its backstory as it slowly coming to reject humanity and all the things that come with it-- emotion, responsibility, even pronouns that don’t traditionally refer to objects (the latter of which can absolutely be read as voidpunk, but there is certainly room to criticize the other two). TS does what it wants, because it doesn’t see itself as part of the group obligated to follow moral rules.

Tim had a moral compass at one point. Maybe even a decent one. But then the horrors of war, etc. Tim believes and behaves as if all of his goodness died with Bertie. He can do whatever he wants now, because what’s the point?

Raphaella does not believe in good and evil. At best, it’s a nice fairy tale, at the worst, it’s a fiction designed to repress freedom and independence. Like Ivy, Raphaella is driven by knowledge, but where Ivy preserves it, Raphaella discovers it-- at any cost. Nonconsensual human experimentation poses no issue to her, because it will yield knowledge. Of course, being rude or hurtful exists, and doing bad things without sufficient reason may be rude or hurtful, but it’s not evil or wrong. Mostly in those cases the main problem is that other people don’t like it.

I’m going to be honest, I’m still very shaky on my characterization of Marius beyond Funney Man (death of byron von raum WHEN), but at the moment I see his crimes as falling under impulsivity or revenge. He feels like killing someone? Sure. He’s really annoyed at someone so constructs an elaborate plot to drive them to madness? Sounds fun. He might have felt bad about it at one point, but by the time he settles into immortality he cares more about A) whether it made him personally feel better and B) welp, can’t change it anyway. In this way, he can be a bit like Jonny, but while Jonny will do bad things for the sake of doing bad things, Marius most often has at least some reasoning, or something he hopes to gain.

If you’re still here thank you for reading and I’d be very curious to hear other thoughts

[adhd-merlin]

merlin S1 rewatch: episode 9

let’s move on to ep 1x09 because I need to get on. with my life. I already re-watched this ep months ago and I can’t be arsed to do it again so I’m going to use screencaps and perhaps the transcript to refresh my memory.

kilgharrah warning merlin that excalibur MUST NOT be wielded by anyone but arthur, and merlin handing the sword to uther literally the next morning is so funny to me. it's kind of the same thing that happens with the cup of life, when iseldir tells merlin “hey this is important so don’t lose it okay?” and five minutes later we see the cup rolling down a hill. I love consistent characterisation. please don’t give this boy anything important for safekeeping he has enough on his plate already!!

I think Arthur’s coronet looks a bit dumb but still it’s nothing compared to the horrendous Burger King crown he'll wear as king. why did uther get such a prettier crown. why couldn't arthur just wear his father's crown. so many questions

why did they name the undead knight tristan, was he supposed to be the tristan? I think he was. I think their take on tristan and isolde in S4 was so disappointing btw. anyway moving on

Merlin: Gaius have you seen that knight’s crest before? Gaius: No, I don’t think so. I didn’t see it clearly. Actually I’m not even sure I saw a knight. Perhaps it was a trick of the light or a collective hallucination

Sir Owain: I don’t need luck Arthur: oh fuck he’s going to die

Arthur’s face after Uther holds him back and someone else picks up the undead knight’s gauntlet. so much self-sacrificing acts of bravery and NONE of them done by him. wrong and upsetting

S1 Arthur I'm not sure how to tell you this so I'll just say it. your haircut looks dangerously close to a mullet

Merlin: maybe arson can fix this

Nimueh telling Uther she was his friend!!! fuck season 6 I want a Merlin prequel

he’s a precious baby. he’s shmol. only tiny

gwen doing her whole “you know I'd grant you anything merlin… I mean, not anything! haha” meanwhile merlin is too worried about keeping arthur alive to notice. GIRL HE'S BUSY

WHY. who stands like this

he holds this stupid pose the entire time morgana is talking to him. imagine begging someone not to commit suicide while they brood and look out of the window like a sullen byronic hero. I would have pushed him out of the window. drama ass bitch

this is the second nighttime encounter between uther and gaius in this episode. uther saying goodbye to gaius before going to fight in arthur’s place. toxic yaoi. is this anything

YOU KNOW NOTHING YOU STUPID CHILD. I love that Kilgharrah is a hater and a bitch. to be fair to him he spent 20 years in solitary confinement so he's earned it

gaius drugging arthur then gently helping him into his bed is hilarious. he’s so good at lying and drugging people. big fan of gaius using his evil talents for the greater good, or just to have a laugh sometimes which is equally valid

what a fine blade you have there… it would be a shame if something were to happen to it

he’s wearing silver bracelets!! plural!!

[Enter Arthur, visibly furious]

Gaius [gathering his things]: I've just remembered I've left something on the stove. I must go right now immediately

Arthur [while Gaius scurries away]: YOU HAD GAIUS DRUG ME??

arthur and uther little father and son moment was cute ngl

there are a few more scenes until the end but I don't have much to say about them except that I love gaius and merlin's relationship

Gaius: [stares loudly] Merlin: [pretends not to notice]

[noorahqar]

A, N and V for the ask game!

A: Of the fanfic you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

Oooh. Hard question, because I absolutely love almost all of my fics. But I THINK I can narrow it down. To three. (I'm indecisive LOL)

this year it taught me (lost and ambitious) was my first longfic ever (even if it's more of a collection of short stories) and is my pride and joy. The title may suck - I have no clue why it's so long - and there's plenty of flaws, but I'm very proud of this guy. Every so often I reread it and it's always a blast - past me covered a lot of different topics, a lot of relationships, and I think it had some pretty good characterization!

Educational Quandaries and Academic Arson are the silliest things I've written but also by far my favorite of my oneshots. Writing Sky as a miserable college student and hero is my favorite thing ever. It's also quite representative of myself right now - I have exams in a few weeks I should be studying for, and yet… 

N: Any fic ideas brewing that you’d care to share?

A solid handful. These are all WIPs, actually, not ideas, but I hope you'll forgive me for considering them interchangeable!

In the TP manga, Twilight's backstory includes him accidentally vaporizing the city he lived in before Ordon. I think they turn out to be alive and well, but fanfiction where him and Legend bond over seemingly destroying entire civilizations they loved. 

HTTYD AU! Kind of. Everything's the same, and Sky essentially has a role similar to that of Hiccup in HTTYD 2 - he's an adventurer, mapping out the region around what will eventually become Hyrule. He also has Hiccup's cool-ass flying suit. I want to give Sky a cool wingsuit. That's it. (This is barely an AU, lol. I'm not an AU person for the most part. Excluding modern AUs.)

Speaking of - fanfiction where Warriors and Legend are in a car, and that car gets hit by lightning. Inspired by the same thing happening to my aunt. It didn't really do much except be frightening, surprisingly? Legend is appropriately frightened.

That's everything notable. The rest are all completed short stories and vague ideas that are more emotions than anything, lol. 

V: Are there certain comments you’ve received on your stories that have stuck with you?

As I think everyone who's responded to this comment has said, I love literally each and every comment I receive! There's definitely often some that stand out, though. Some people inform you that you've hit the mark you were aiming for with your writing, others tell you about how your writing affected them personally. The latter always makes me emotional, lol. It's also fun seeing a person comment multiple times in a row on different fics - it's like, HI!! I SEE YOU BINGING MY WORK!!! I APPRECIATE YOU!!!!

Getting comments from writers you admire is great, too. As someone who used to have a huge following on my previous Ao3 account, logically I know they're just some random people who like their blorbos. But I always end up incredibly excited anyways, haha. 

There's also no greater joy than a returning commenter. Often, I've found myself in like… a symbiotic relationship of commenting long paragraphs? It's amazing. I made one of my closest online friends this way, over a discussion about tea in my comments!!

Lord OKAY. I went too hard with these responses, I think, but I have a lot of thoughts. Thank you for asking, Rose!! :D

[waffliesinyoface]

The Akatsuki, Ranked by How Normal (and/or insane) They Are

Now, listen. I love the akatsuki. You, dear reader, presumably love the akatsuki.　They’re great. They are also, however, the biggest collection of walking buckwild basket cases to ever exist. So. Lets rank them.

Kisame - he is literally a shark. He is literally a giant blue shark man with face gills and a semi-sentient sword that can eat things. This is our barometer for “normal person” here.

Sasori - i hear you protesting but, hold on. Yes, he has literally turned himself into a puppet man. Not a deal breaker! He’s just. Dedicated. You could have a reasonable conversation with him. Provided you don’t annoy him in some way, and/or don’t qualify for his internal standard of “artistic”, he is no more likely to kill you than any other S-rank criminal ninja. 

Kakuzu - Similar to Sasori in that you could probably survive a conversation with him, but also, he has a lot of anger issues and not a lot of self restraint. “Normal”, but only relative to other ninja.

Deidara - We are now at the point that other ninja are giving you the side eye. Excitable, loud, obnoxious, a little mean, and passionate about art. That by itself would not be out of place on like, any college campus. However he also has mouth hands, a penchant for arson, and the ability & desire to explode anything that looks slightly artistic.

Konan - Not even normal from a distance because no one looks that put together all the time. Flies around with giant paper wings and calls herself god’s angel with a straight face. Genuinely means it. Enters and exits rooms/conversations by turning into paper and fluttering away on the breeze. If you’re not a citizen of Rain Country, your life is of less consequence to her than an ant. Absolutely fucking inscrutable woman.

Zetsu - “isnt zetsu literally a fucking alien plant dude or something?” yeah “doesnt he literally shlorp out of the ground all the time?” yeah “isn’t he actually two people, and frequently talks to himself” yeah “how the fuck is he not the LAST person on this list?” listen to me. the rest are worse.

Itachi - You think he’s normal but then he opens his mouth and oh no,  he’s so not. His plans have plans. None of these plans are good plans, but he will genjutsu you into going along with them anyways. Stabs people in the face while calling himself a pacifist. Logic is a distant relative and he killed all of those. You do Not want to be a target of his affection by any means.

Hidan - He’s an asshole and god loves him for it. Will ritualistically disembowel himself and then complain about the rain five minutes later. Even when viewed through the lens of Jashinist ideology, he is an outlier and should not be counted.

Obito - His plans make no sense and he is basically losing his shit throughout the entire series. Good times. Has weird hangups about kakashi. Got kidnapped by an evil grandpa and was convinced that using the moon to reflect a super genjutsu onto the entire world was Necessary for the Greater Good. Decided to pretend to be Tobi for months, if not years, for ??? reasons, instead of actually advancing his plans. Despite being obviously in his early twenties he decided to tell Pein & Konan (& Itachi) that his true identity was Madara Uchiha, century-old-grandpa, and they fucking bought it.

Pein - Named himself Pein. Because he was in so much pain, you see. His best friend died so he decided the clear and logical thing to do was to pilot his corpse around and call himself god, and also grab like 5 other corpses and dye their hair the same color. That’s a lovely coping mechanism, Pein. You do you, buddy!!

Honorary Mention: Orochimaru - there are not enough words to describe this man adequately. What the fuck, sir.

[fics-n-stuff]

Some Random OBX3 Thoughts and Opinions (full spoilers)

This whole season was on crack. It was fucking wild and I loved it

Put me on Poguelandia. That was so sweet. I want to see what that month looked like, I want to experience that with them

I wanted to see more Wheezie :(

I'm sorry but Big John was so annoying, tryna keep the Pogues out of the loop after they've already been through all this shit

Pope and Cleo are super cute, very sweet relationship. The way she's always teasing him? The fact that his parents immediately love her? Immaculate

What they did with Ward this season was... interesting. I will say though, I'm okay with that being the way he goes out. I'm glad he's actually dead now

Rafe × Barry is alive and well

Topper interlude:

Topper really should have got a clue. Sarah moved on babes, you should move on too

I really thought we were on our way to a Topper redemption arc when he helped them with the train robbery - and I was super happy with that - BUT OH BOY WAS I WRONG

Topper deserved to get his shit rocked by John B. His little snarky comments are absolutely a punchable offence

Everyone was freaking out about John B punching Topper while he was down and I think everyone forgot that Topper literally tried to DROWN JOHN B in season 1

HE BURNED DOWN THE CHATEU!?!? HE WAS PISSED AT SARAH SO HE DECIDED TO ATTEMPT TO MURDER SIX PEOPLE!?!? THAT'S NOT JUST PETTY THAT'S PSHYCHOPATHIC

On the other hand, Sarah should have really just let that boy have some peace and stop stringing him along. Like, I get it it was for the greater good and maybe it was their only option but it was still a bit mean (not that I cared much after Topper attempted to commit SEXTUPLE MURDER BY ARSON)

Sarah was so wrong for kissing Topper. You get in one fight with your boyfriend and you run back to your ex? After everything you've gone through? Weak

When Rafe melted down the cross I died a little inside bro that was so upsetting

SOMEONE GET RAFE SOME THERAPY JESUS CHRIST

Jiara. Was. Great. The looks, the hugs, the lingering moments, the slow build up to the final payoff. Loved it

Jiara's first kiss! Idk if this is controversial but I loved that they had an audience cheering when they kissed, it felt like a little inside joke with the fandom. Like a little "wink wink nudge nudge, we know this is how you at home are feeling rn"

Bit harsh that John B got his dad back just for him to actually die, but at least he got to say goodbye this time

18 month time skip? What happened in that time? What did they do with the gold and how did they get everyone to believe their stories? What happend with the charges Topper filed against John B? How did Rafe react to Ward's death? What about Rose and Wheezie, what did they do? The Pogues are still minors (before the time skip at least) and like half of them don't have legal guardians, I know they're rich now but how did they sort that out?

HOW DARE MIKE AND ANNA SIT IN THE FRONT ROW SMILING AND CLAPPING AS IF THEY DIDN'T TRY TO STOP KIARA FROM ACHIEVING THIS EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY AND SHIT ON ALL OF HER FRIENDS IN THE PROCESS

ARE WE SERIOUSLY ENDING WITH A BLACKBEARD NAMEDROP?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!? When I say I sat in silence and laughed for a full two minutes after that ending, omg

[mayashesfly]

Sometimes I would visit the bsd fandom and realize how well Nagito would fit in within this universe.

Like he's gay, mentally ill, insane, morally grey, has an interesting ideology, smart af, quite literally has a supernatural ability with his bullshit luck. And with how normal it is to have worldbreaking calamities in bsd is, he would literally just be able to smile nonchalantly while the whole world burns around him like he doesn't have a single care in the world.

(Nagito in BSD scenarios under cut, beware of bsd spoilers... and also a brief mention of explosions and terrorism if you know you know)

Nagito, walking out of the grocery store with his bag, looking up to the sky and seeing Moby Dick approach menacingly towards Yokohama: What a fine day, just another normal tuesday as usual. 😁

A few moments later...

Nagito, on his way home peacefully. But then Moby Dick crashes into the water near him, absolutely soaking him up from top to bottom, his wet hair covering his eyes: Ahh.... What bad luck... I need to buy new groceries at this rate..... 😔

Nagito, having won a ticket to enter Sky Casino for free: What bad luck... my flight has been cancelled towards Sky Casino..... 😔 And here I was being excited to see the one in a lifetime view from up there...! 😟

(Currently, in Sky Casino: A B S O L U T E C H A O S)

Nagito, having just won a lottery yet again: Hm... what should I do with this amount of money? 🤔 Ah... Maybe I should deposit it in the bank! 😃

A few moments later, after he deposited his lottery winnings...

Nagito, standing infront of the burning remains of the bank he was just in a few moments ago: Ah... what bad luck, the entire bank blew up 😥

(Unbeknownst to him, he just prevented a widespread terrorist attack in Yokohama by winning all the explosive money in Yokohama and bringing all of it in one centralized location. Good old unintentional but overall good for the greater good arson from Nagito)

These are regular days in Yokohama in bsd. And for Nagito, they are very truly normal.

[starreadssstuff]

Burning betrayal - Geto Suguru

warnings- Strong language and themes of anger and betrayal, Death, fire, arson? killing w fire. please be careful reading this! And as always LMK

Authors note- this is the first “scary” sort of thing I written EVER, so I do hope I did well! As always let me know how to improve and if you enjoyed the fic! love,star 💜

The streets were shrouded in darkness as you made your way through the desolate alleyways. Your heart pounded with a mixture of anticipation and anger, your mind filled with thoughts of revenge. The person you once trusted with your life had betrayed you in the worst possible way. Geto Suguru, the man who had claimed to love you, had turned out to be a monster in disguise.

Every step you took was fueled by a burning rage that threatened to consume you. How could he have played with your emotions so callously? The memories of your time together haunted your mind, each one a painful reminder of the lies and deceit that had been woven into the fabric of your relationship.

You remembered the first time you met Geto. His charming smile and warm demeanor had drawn you in like a moth to a flame. He had promised to protect you, to always be there by your side. And you had believed him, wholeheartedly.

But now, as you stood outside his hideout, the truth was crystal clear. Geto had used you as a pawn in his twisted game, manipulating your emotions to further his own sinister agenda. Anger surged through your veins as you clenched your fists, vowing to make him pay for his betrayal.

Pushing open the door, you stepped inside, the dimly lit room filled with the scent of stale air and malice. Geto turned to face you, his eyes widening with surprise at your unexpected arrival. His lips curved into a smirk, but you could see the flicker of unease behind his mask of arrogance.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice dripping with false innocence.

"You think you can just use me and discard me like a pawn?" you spat, your voice trembling with anger. "Well, think again, Geto. I won't let you get away with this."

Geto's smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing as he realized the depth of your fury. "You're overreacting. I did what was necessary for the greater good."

"The greater good?" you scoffed, your voice laced with bitterness. "Is that what you call it? Sacrificing innocent lives for your own selfish ambitions? You've lost sight of everything that's good and right."

His mask of confidence shattered, replaced by a flicker of guilt that you relished seeing. "You don't understand," he muttered, his voice barely a whisper.

"No, I understand perfectly," you retorted, your voice sharp as a blade. "You used me, Geto. You took advantage of my trust and manipulated me to serve your own twisted purpose. But I won't be your puppet any longer."

As you spoke, your anger grew, consuming every inch of your being. Flames danced in your eyes as you summoned your own power, the force of your rage manifesting as a fiery aura around you. The room trembled, the air crackling with electricity.

Geto's eyes widened in disbelief, his composure crumbling under the weight of your fury. "No... this can't be happening," he stammered, his voice laced with fear.

"You should have thought about the consequences before betraying me," you hissed, your voice cutting through the tension. "Now, you will pay for your sins."

With a wave of your hand, flames erupted from your fingertips, engulfing Geto in a blaze of wrath. He screamed in agony, his body writhing as the flames licked at his skin. The room filled with the acrid smell of burning flesh, a macabre testament to the price of betrayal.

As the flames subsided, you stood over the charred remains of Geto Suguru, a mix of satisfaction and emptiness filling your heart. The anger that had consumed you had been quelled, but the scars of betrayal would forever mar your soul.

With one final look at the twisted figure before you, you turned your back on the ashes of your past. It was time to rebuild, to find solace in the knowledge that you had broken free from the chains of deceit. And though your heart may forever bear the scars of anger, you would rise above the ashes, stronger than ever before.

[yourfavoriteratsstuff]

Be gay do arson we don't care it's for the greater good!

[haventdecidedyet]

Fav part of every TTPD song -

Fortnight = the outro. thought of calling ya/nother fortnight lost in america/buy the car you want but it won't start up til you touch touch touch meee. it's so crazed

TTPD = who's gonna hold you like me? who's gonna know you if not me? and all its repetitions

My Boy... = the second half of each chorus. cause it fit too right.../cause i knew too much... perfectly bitter

Down Bad = bridge bridge bridge. I loved your hostile takeovers encounters closer and closer all your indecent exposures how dare you say that it's !!!

So Long, London = bridge! AND YOU SAY I ABANDONED THE SHIP/AND MY FRIENDS SAID IT ISN'T RIGHT TO BE SCARED

But Daddy I Love Him = i'm running with my dress unbuttoned screaming but daddy i love him i'm having his babyyy - whenever it comes up

Fresh Out The Slammer = as i said in my letters now that i know better i will never lose my baby again (so satifsying)

Florida!!! = bridge and fuck me up Florida

Guilty As Sin? = what if he's written mine on my upper thigh??!! in the last chorus, obviously

Who's Afraid...? = so who's. afraid. of me. in the outro

I Can Fix Him = on a six-lane Texas highway, his hand so calloused from his pistol softly traces hearts on my face?!?! pop off with the imagery taylor, and so ethel-cain-core

loml = the last chorus. it just keeps going. what a valiant roar what a bland goodbye/i'll never leave never mind/your arson's match your sombre eyes!! (this song is becoming such a favourite)

I Can Do It... = he said he'd love me all his life!-- but that life was too short... and its counterpart: he said he'd love me for all time!-- such a good illustration of having to keep those miserable thoughts in check

The Smallest Man... = well clearly the whole raging bridge (YOU SAID NORMAL GIRLS WERE BORING BUT YOU WERE GONE BY THE MORNING)

The Alchemy = i can't lie. no part of it really wows me.

Clara Bow = i'm not trying to exaggerate but i think i might DIE if i made it/DIE if it happened - prechoruses

The Black Dog = the choruses, particularly the one that comes first and last. you jump up but she's too young to know this song that was intertwined with the magic/tragic fabric of our dreaming!!

imgonnagetyouback = say you got somebody i'll say i got someone too EVEN IF IT'S HANDCUFFED I'M LEAVING HERE WITH YOUU

The Albatross = also a song that does not hit me at any point. sorry.

Chloe et al. = the choruses. say i loved you the way that you were/say you've always wondered... also i/you just watched it happen... :(

How Did It End? = bridge bridge bridge the unsympathetic unfeeling roboticness and post-mortem detail and the rhythm and rhyming oh my god (say-it once-a gain-with feel-ing)

So High School = ARE YOU GONNA MARRY KISS OR KILL MEEE and also truth, dare, spin bottles... and all that. satisfying rhythm and rhyme strike again

I Hate It Here = choruses. the I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child/I dreamed about it in the dark the night I felt like I might die line. and no mid-sized city hopes and small-town fears i'm there most of the year cos i hate it here....

thanK you aIMee = lowkey an annoying song for me.

I Look In... = the verses, especially all the south south south and now now now now downtown downtown downtown parts

The Prophecy = and i sound like an infant feeling like the very last drops of an inkpen, a greater woman stays cool!!

Cassandra = so they killed Cassandra first cause she feared the worst is the best line but i don't particularly like this song.

Peter = THE WHOLE SONG. love. verses and choruses and bridge. chef's kiss. maybe best moment is YOU SAID YOU'D COME AND GET ME BUT YOU WERE TWENTY FIVE

The Bolter = verse 1. childhood anecdotes always hit

Robin = the bridge, I cry, reminds me of Ronan, you got the dragonflies above your bed, the echo of you have no idea...

The Manuscript = verse 2, the theme of growing up again, she wished she was thirty/she only ate kids' cereal

that's all thank you bye

[negative-speedforce]

Dark OC asks 1, 4, 5, 8, 12, 14 for Onnie and Director Hawke :)

1. Excluding murder, what is the worst thing your OC has ever done?

Onnie: Arson, torture, organized crime

Director Hawke: Kidnapping, torture, and human experimentation.

4. What appears in your OC's darkest nightmares?

Onnie: Vulnerability. If there's one thing that scares Onnie more than anything, it's letting another person see through the (honestly pretty obvious) facade of confidence and general evilness that they put on.

Director Hawke: A world where witches, metas, and humans are all equals and interact as such. She sees metas as having corrupted the sanctity of her kind's magic, though it is a misconception, due to most metahumans having no magic of their own.

5. What is your OC's moral code?

Onnie: She thinks human morality is beneath her, since they're so powerful, they see themself as higher than the rest of humanity, occasionally diving into a full-on god complex when she's less "in control".

Director Hawke: She's actually got a pretty strict moral code, however, she does not see metas as people, so she does whatever she wants with them, since she sees them as less than animals- a plague to be eradicated.

8. Would your OC consider themself evil?

Onnie: Oh, yeah, absolutely. They're 100% evil, and proud of it. After all, morality is for mere mortals, not eldritch terrors.

Director Hawke: Not at all. She believes that what she's doing is for the greater good, even if it hurts some people now, less people will be hurt in the end.

12: If your OC was arrested, what would the charges be?

Onnie: Murder, theft, arson, torture, conspiracy, assault, kidnapping, weapons trafficking, threatening an official, resisting arrest, mayhem, intimidation, hostage-taking, and terrorism

Director Hawke: Crimes against humanity, murder, torture, kidnapping, human experimentation, perjury, blackmail, fraud, human trafficking, murder, assault

14: What is your OC's "villain song"?

Onnie:

Director Hawke