#analysis and etcetera

[muttakutagawa]

i like to think about Verlaine and the Frankensteins as like. a trio in terms of their personal philosophy on personhood

(and by extension how they all end up influencing chuuya to some extent or another)

while verlaine despises his existence as an artificial being (in a body that should be human but is instead "lines of code" as a manufactured singularity)

and i think adam happily reconciles the middle ground he occupies as both an android and as a human being,

i like to imagine eve wants to avoid the acknowledgement that she is to some extent human, she wants to be a machine and is frustratingly aware every single time she is painfully human despite being a made thing and not a born one

[licorice-and-rum]

SOC and Neoliberlism

So, as promised, here it is my analysis of Six of Crows and how neoliberalism is amazingly portrayed in Ketterdam, and how the city is an example of what happens in a community that is not provided for.

Before we begin, I wanted to say that English is not my first language, and, considering I read SOC in Brazilian Portuguese, I might translate some names literally or differently from the English version but I think it's manageable to read and understand my point. If not, I'll edit the text.

The first thing we have to understand is how neoliberalism works and the theory behind it, and then we'll talk about how it's portrayed in Ketterdam.

So neoliberalism is a theory born more or less at the end of the 20th century (70s-80s), and it finds its roots in laissez-faire capitalism, meaning that it's a political current that tries to suppress and/or eliminate the State's influence from the market. The neoliberalist view understands that the market can supply by itself the population's needs without help or limitations imposed by the State.

The thing here is that most people listen to this and think neoliberalism is about electronics, cars, and other stuff. The truth is, that neoliberalism aims to suppress the presence of State-run facilities in ALL corners of society, such as health care, housing, water access, electricity, etcetera.

So, we can use the American and Brazillian health systems to understand it better, for example:

In the US, the ones providing health care for the population are great corporations - they decide the price of care, they work together with pharmaceutical companies to define medicine prices, and the laws that bind them are pretty much only offer and demand. There is almost none State intervention to provide the population with accessible health care.

However, this brings problems, of course: not everyone (actually, most people) has real access to health care simply because they can't afford it, or they can't afford it without taking a big financial hit, which threatens their other basic needs, such as food, housing, water, electricity, etcetera. Not everyone can provide for their medical needs, such as diabetic and disabled people.

That leads to:

(a) an increase in poverty;

(b) a decrease in educational levels - if you don't have the means to pay for higher educational levels because of health care debt, or if you're sick and need to go to class and tough through it but you're not really learning anything, and so on, which leads to a major workforce in base level production and a minor class who has access to this education;

(c) an increase in overworking people - meaning that we have a lot of people taking on several jobs to be able to pay for things like health care, which increases the competitiveness between people, making individualism levels go up and breaking up human beings' natural sense of community.

I could also talk here about how this breeds isolation and increases the potential for mental health problems but I think you got what I was saying.

On the other hand, we have the Brazilian health care system (SUS), which is a universal gratuitous medical care service through the whole country. Its purpose is not profit, it's providing health care for the community, so therefore, any SUS unit is bound by State law and run by the State. By law, every SUS unit must provide for anyone who enters its premises in need of medical care. Everyone, Brazillian and foreigners, poor or rich, must be treated if they need to. It's the law.

Of course, that doesn't mean it's all rainbows and flowers, there are definitely many problems in SUS. However, what I'm trying to showcase here is that, when the needs of a population are met, the population itself is more resilient, their life quality goes up and so does their participation in their community.

On the other hand, in neoliberalism, when the State is absent from these areas of community service, the market is, in theory, the one providing for the community. In practice, however, what we observe from neoliberal policies in cities with a great poor population in Latam for example, is that when the State doesn't provide for the community, the market is unable to step up for them because of their obscene prices.

The poor population that doesn't have their needs met by the State or the market sees a great boom in criminal activities within their spaces. That's mainly why criminal organizations are so present in slums and favelas throughout Latin America: criminal organizations are a way for the community to provide for themselves and, as a means to become more powerful, they provide for the community in exchange for their services (not to say they do that for the good of their hearts, of course not).

It's why it's so common, for example, that criminal organizations such as PCC in Brazil pay for kids from favelas to undergo Law school, for example.

And that's is where I wanted to go to start the conversation in SOC: one of the main traits of Ketterdam is the Barrel and, in the Barrel, we have the presence of many criminal organizations, such as the Dregs, the Dime Lions, the Menagerie staff (not the girls, ofc), etcetera.

This, as observed by Kaz himself, is one of the only ways to survive on the Barrel - you filiate yourself to a gang because you need to be able to provide for yourself and, more times than others, for your family as well.

Kaz's story is actually a perfect example of how Ketterdam is the representation of America in the early 20th century in full policies of laissez-faire (neoliberalism): as we can see in Titanic and many other historical fictions, the said American Dream had people believing the US to be this economical paradise where they could all enter the market and become millionaires.

The result of it is the Great Depression, of course, but I'm getting ahead of myself here.

When Kaz and Jodi leave Lij for Ketterdam, Jodi believes he'll become a merchant - which is a pretty common belief of those who arrive at Ketterdam, as Pekka Rollins and Kaz himself state in Crooked Kingdom.

The reality of it, though, is much harsher, because the truth is that when you have a market that controls everything, as we see in Ketterdam with the Merchant's Guild (I think that's how it's translated?) and the Stadwatch as a police force, you see perfectly how neoliberal policies really work in real life:

You have a higher class who controls the market and the riches (question: who do you think got the money Shu Han sent to Ketterdam at the beginning of the first book: the people of the city/country or the merchants in the "government"?), and a lower class that, without support from the State or the market to have their needs met will turn to their own means to do so.

So you have the trafficking that brought Inej to the island, the unlimited gambling that Jesper was trapped in, the cons Jodi and Kaz fell for - it's all product of liberal policies.

And so, you have Ketterdam and its neoliberal policies (:

(I really love to make this kind of analysis, please, if you have something you want me to talk about, don't hesitate to ask)

[voidcxltist]

Genuine question for y'all, deep analysis of something I find funny

Main thing; Thoughts about Narilamb, small tw for mention of abuser and manipulation

Does someone of you like, have an AU where your Lamb is evil just because they want?

Like, no "Oh the bishops are my servants I shall torture them for their damage, so I'm evil for torturing them for a trauma", or even, "Oh the bishops are my followers I will take revenge, so I'm evil for taking my revenge", like, literally "I had acknowledge that they are evil and they had harmed me before, but it's not for that I'm acting evil towards them, I just do it because I want, I can, and I will always."

Like, Lamb is meant to be the representation of human choices, thus givingus the fandom to not depict him as a babygirl who can come at anytime give you a hug and make things better with it, but to actually give him serious, horrible traits that the humans find cuestionable such as being manipulative, abusive or even having an unalligned moral.

Or even so, a Narinder that is genuinely good, and feels remorse, giving him actual feelings and life?

Yet again, like, not "I'm searching redemption for The Lamb's command", not "I'm searching redemption for a bigger purpose someone had given for me", an actual "I'm redeeming myself for the actions I've commited are wrong, so I'm doing it for myself, acknowlegding that this will make me better."

I feel that the fandom gives always Narilamb an focus of "Lamb will be something like yandere they/them or she/her bastard who comes to have a crush on a tsundere idiot who actually feels the same"

But, there are many more things to do, after all, likewise said before and even by the same developers, The Lamb's name is just "The Lamb", they have no name. And, aswell, Lamb has a zero personality, during the game, you craft their identity, their love stories, their problems and even headcannons

Even so, quoting some of my moots examples, give Narinder an actual new life with new roles and nothing to be with Lamb (@saiwasneverhere), focus the opportunity to develop "what is it to be the only god?" or Narinder a whole new identity post-Purgatory (@rosmerie-starr/@rosmerie-sleeps), giving Narinder new marks and stories to tell with their Lamb too (@really-burnt-toast), etcetera etcetera.

This is what makes the lambsonas thing a concept I love a lot: I've seen from Lambs that speak japanese (Sai I'm seeing you) to Lambs that have a pentagram for eye (@bialejaja) and many other things that makes them unique.

Hope this gives y'all nightmares 👹 /jk

[sapphiresaphics]

So we need to have a discussion about analyzing media.

Maybe it would help to start with a few basics first:

TEXT

A text refers to any media or content that can be analyzed or studied with the goal of trying to understand how meaning is conveyed and what messages are being communicated.

So for example: a movie is a text. And everything within that movie is part OF the text. If a character says something in the movie, what they’re saying can be analyzed as one of the ways the movie is conveying its message, its text, to the audience. Background details, set decoration, editing, transitions, voice over, acting, music, sound effects… every aspect of the movie can be interpreted as the TEXT of the film.

Deleted scenes, cast interviews, director’s commentary, outside reviews or reports, storyboards, behind the scenes production, social media posts, original pitches or concepts… these are NOT texts. Or rather, they’re not texts of the movie being analyzed because they exist outside of the movie. When you’re analyzing a piece of media you need to be wary of whats part of the film and what is not.

So for example: Being angry at an actor for something snarky they said in an interview should not be considered when analyzing the text of a movie that actor is in. Because whatever they say outside the film has no bearing on what is IN the film that we are analyzing.

THEMES

A theme is the central, dominant, or unifying idea in a text. Themes are the overarching idea that connects different parts of the content, providing a sense of coherence and purpose. Themes go beyond surface-level plot or content; they explore deeper issues, human experiences, or social concerns.

So for example: Toy Story 2’s plot is that Woody gets kidnapped by a collector and the other toys need to rescue him. But the THEMES that are being explored through Woody’s story are fears about growing old, eventually losing someone you love, wrestling with the idea of the inevitability of death after a life well lived versus the possibility of stagnating unloved immortality.

A media text can have many themes throughout, but generally speaking there are usually only a small handful of core central themes being explored in a text.

LENS

A lens is a way of looking at a particular text from a different perspective.

So for example: A movie like Gone With the Wind that emphasizes American Southern values and traditions takes on a different meaning when you view it through a lens of black suffering. A movie like The Matrix takes on a different meaning when looked through a queer perspective.

LITERACY

Literacy in media analysis is the ability to decode the symbols, messages, and meaning presented in a text.

Every piece of media uses some degree of symbolism to convey its message. It could be through the use of interesting camera angles, character wardrobes, color theory, music, repeated actions, etcetera. Your job in analyzing any work of media is to see what the text presents and try to decode the meaning behind why these decisions were made.

So for example: In The Great Gatsby there is a green light glowing in the distance across the waters that Gatsby is always looking at. Physically in the space of the story the light is an actual green light that is attached to a dock on the waters. However, metaphorically the color green is traditionally associated with money. Therefore the green light could symbolizes the wealth that Gatsby believes will enable him to win his love, Daisy, back. The fact that it is always out of reach is the text telling us that this belief Gatsby has is unobtainable.

Color theory is a great example of this too. In the show Severance the mega corporation that controls everything has a color palette of blues and greens. The town that the main character Mark exists in is owned by the company, as is his home, and most of the people he interacts with are related to the company in some way so the whole show has a very oppressive blue and bleak color palette that surrounds him. However red symbolizes truth and honesty and defiance against the oppression, so you should pay attention to where, when, and how red starts getting introduced into the story.

SAMPLE MEDIA ANALYSIS

Now that we’ve got a couple terms defined, let’s do a simple test analysis of Arcane. Many people have suggested that Arcane is a form of copaganda. So let’s use our media analysis skills to see if this is true or not.

First let’s define our terms. What IS “copaganda?” Here’s a definition from google: “Copaganda refers to the strategic use of propaganda to promote a positive image of law enforcement, often minimizing or ignoring instances of police misconduct or brutality.”

Now that we have that definition, let’s start asking some questions.

Does Arcane present a positive image of law enforcement?

Does Arcane minimize or ignore instances of police misconduct or brutality?

The first question is pretty easy to answer. No. Arcane does not often present positive images of law enforcement. We are shown in the text of Arcane that Enforcers are often stupid, corrupt, power hungry, violent, and crass. A huge part of season 1 involves the sheriff of the Enforcers actively taking bribes and doing the bidding of a drug dealing mob boss. The few good Enforcers are often depicted as naive and unrealistically optimistic. Characters often mock this trait. And the brutality of the Enforcers is so bad that when Piltover begs Zaun to help them fight in a war Zaun refuses to help them and walks away.

If you’re looking to present Arcane as being pro-cop, these are not things that would normally be depicted in pro-cop propaganda text.

The second question is a little trickier. Sometimes the police brutality is minimized. Or if not minimized it isn’t explored as deeply as other things in the text. That’s not to say it doesn’t exist. Police brutality is omnipresent in Arcane. Nearly every episode has some example of police brutality on display. But the text of Arcane isn’t really interested in exploring police brutality beyond the fact that it exists in this world. We rarely see any consequences to the Enforcers for their use of police brutality.

However it should be noted that just because the Enforcers aren’t punished, that doesn’t mean that the text of Arcane is absolving them of their crimes. Quite the contrary. Arcane uses the police brutality to emphasize how much pressure everyone in Zaun is under and it very clearly frames these moments as WRONG. The way characters respond to the brutality, the way it’s framed, the way it’s not glorified… these all paint the text of Arcane as disagreeing with the brutality. The text understands that it’s wrong and it’s presenting a message to the audience.

So if the text of Arcane doesn’t agree that police brutality is good and presents its cops are bad, but the show still ends with little to no action taken against reforming this policing body… what is the message Arcane is sending about the system?

To me Arcane is saying that because this system wasn’t reformed and the police brutality was so omnipresent, that means that the police brutality isn’t going to change anytime soon. That’s not a good thing. You should be upset that happened because everything in the text has told you that this system is bad. So the message Arcane is sending isn’t that police brutality and the Enforcers are good and necessary, it’s saying that this whole story of conflict between the two cities WILL happen again if nothing is done to change things.

If we look at Arcane through a liberal lens we don’t see this as an endorsement of maintaining the status quo, but rather the condemnation of it. You should be MAD that the status quo doesn’t change because everything in the text of Arcane is telling you this system is BAD. It is not a happy ending, but it’s also not one that believes the cops deserve to be in power or that they should be oppressing Zaun.

So with all that in mind, let’s finally answer the question we started with: “is Arcane copaganda?”

The answer is “no, it is not.” It doesn’t follow the definition we laid out, and it actively criticizes and denounces the actions of the Enforcers. And even though technically speaking Piltover remains victorious in the end, the show does not present this as a good thing.

Arcane is not copaganda.

CONCLUSIONS

THIS is how you’re supposed to analyze media.

Words mean things. We have definitions for those words. You should be able to look at a text, understand what it’s saying, decode the messages and themes presented in the text, and be willing and able to look at a text through different lenses to gain a better understanding of the work itself. More importantly you should be able to grasp that not everything in a text is purely literal. The vent leading out of Al’s room in Toy Story 2 isn’t just a vent, it’s a metaphor for Woody’s feelings of uncertainty. The green light isn’t just a physical light, it’s a metaphor for greed and wealth. When an Enforcer jokes about beating up inmates and characters respond with horror, that is not the text of Arcane endorsing police brutality.

[bloodcasket]

CARNAL ANALYSIS

PAIRING: Vergil Sparda x GN!Reader

WARNINGS: Pure NSFW, dirty talk, pet names, overall smuttiness, bondage, dominant Vergil, submissive reader, degradation, power-play, other mentions of bdsm related topics. Etcetera. Not proof read muahahaha, sorry guys.

DESCRIPTION: Nsfw headcannons for Vergil.

A/N: I don't like this sorry guys, but I promised :( this was rushed.

SULTRINESS ;

Vergil's tongue is precise, rough, his speech is sharp and his words are calculated.

His comments may appear snarky, or smart-witted, but it's all meant to tease you. To tell you he's always ahead, that he is the one with more power. He enjoys this sense of dominance.

In bed, Vergil carries this same tone of speech, his words are so teasing that it flusters you.

Vergil enjoys degrading as much as he loves praise, although he will never make a remark to bring your confidence down, rather just comments about how hungry you are to be bent over. A toy for him.

His praise toward you is more along the terms of possessive, growling heated words of desire, telling you that you're doing well, that you're all his. Your body, and your soul.

His favorite terms may be vixen, brat, wretch, greedy, pet, and foolish boy/girl/etc.

The half-demon himself much prefers praise from his partner, something that will stroke his ego when he's mounting you.

But if you wish to be smart with him, don't expect anything soft. He'll quickly pull you over his knee and spank some common sense into you.

GUILTY PLEASURES ;

Dominance. He wouldn't have it any other way. Submit to him willingly, and he'll be very much pleased.

Grinding. Seat yourself over his lap, and pleasure yourself over his thigh a little, it's entertaining for him to see you get off so easily.

Bondage. There's nothing more exciting to him than you complying to his control. To have your hands restrained, moaning softly, a beckon for him to ravish you, he's feral.

Prey/predator. Vergil finds it humorous knowing you attempt to out-run him, or win in your hiding. It's cute, innocent. He wins every time, but he loves the adrenaline rush as foreplay. To see your face flushed, temples slick with sweat, your mouth releasing soft pants once he's got you pinned. He could do this more than once.

Cockwarming. One of his favorites. It's quite common for him to drape you over his lap, and ease you further down onto his cock, hushing away your whines as you two sit in warmth. He could sit there forever, with a book in hand, your soft pleas dissipating into the night.

Overstimulation. He likes a challenge, loves the chase. The sound of pleads, begging, and sobbing. When he finally lets you cum, you're hysterical, too tired to even move forward, all from his fingers or tongue alone. Under his cock, you're sure to fall into pieces.

Voyeurism. There's something that riles him up knowing you're touching yourself. To hear you from the other side of your bedroom door, imagining you writhing in bed, playing with yourself so sexually. Bless if the door is cracked, he wouldn't mind a glimpse.

Discipline/Power-play. He won't tolerate a bratty attitude, he'll break you if you don't comply. A few spanks here and there, and you'll apologize, tears in your eyes, cheeks flushed. He hates how much it arouses him.

Finger-sucking/Worshipping. Whether receiving, or giving, he indulges in such lustrous concepts. What a dream it is, you on your knees, appraising him, and then obediently taking his fingers into your mouth. Very good.

Volume. He lacks volume, but when riled up, he's a growler/grunter. He takes pride when he hears your sweet melodies though, and would much rather keep his composure to enjoy hearing your pleasures.

LIBIDO ;

His hunger is rather limited. Although, his stamina is high, and if tempted the right way, you will be fucked so thoroughly you are quite literally weak. Limp, legs wobbly and your vision foggy from so many tears.

While Dante is the brother with confidence in his sexual interest, Vergil likes to be secretive, and quiet about it.

The eldest is too focused on other things to let sexual intimacy fog his thoughts. He could go for a very long time without pleasure, but with you as his companion, things become different.

Ways to arouse the dark slayer is by pestering him, trying his patience and belittling his skills, he'll quickly discipline you. The next is sweetness, speaking words of honey to him gets his lips molded all over yours, and suddenly, your body will be worshipped.

Vergil could go hours in bed, could you?

He'll most likely wear you out every and any session, whether romantic, soft, rough, or slow.

PHYSICAL ;

Vergil knows how to tuck, that's for sure, but he's a half-demon, don't expect something easy.

Sparda blood gives him quite a package.

Packs more length than girth.

On his lover he's not picky, worships your flesh.

Loves the flesh of your thighs, observing the way his fingers sink into you as he fucks you into nothingness.

Kissing and suckling on your throat is divine to him.

He does quite admire your hands though, the way they grasp the sheets, desperate. Or the way they pat him, endless whines and pleads escaping you as your hands weakly hold him, begging for mercy, begging for release.

Of course, they way they wrap his length also.

DISLIKES ;

Refusal of aftercare. Intimacy and love are very important to him, and if not given such love before, during, or after lovemaking, he will not be bothered to waste his time on anyone.

Quickies. He prefers to take his time, to feel the moment properly. Vergil is a man matured physically and mentally, he takes things rather seriously then spontaneously. He is educated in patience, if he must wait for intimacy, he will.

Multiple partners(threesome, etc). No other person is allowed in bed, it must only be you and him. He expects you to feel the same, because he's most definitely not sharing.

Exaggerated love-making. Everything he does is sincere, don't drag it or tell him white lies. Fake moaning or overdoing sexual acts will quickly irritate him.

Non-con. He enjoys the idea that his partner is willing to love him in such ways, so doing things that make them uncomfortable is off the table. Abusive/forceful sex is filthy to him, he hates it.

In public. He would much rather be in the security of his own home, with you. Although, if you arouse him in public, he will punish you later, even if you've already forgotten about it. He keeps track of these things.

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

pain packer: a stockpiler that collects various pains to later convert into various forms of attack. as izuku is harmed the stockpiled pain accumulates until just before the point he cant stand anymore pain at which point all the accumulated pain is released in a single destructive wave around him. crucially it cannot be aimed at all and will effect any bystanders along with the ones who harmed him in the first place. the higher his pain tolerance goes, the more pain he can store, the more destructive the eventual release is eventually becoming powerful enough to destroy entire buildings.

crucially, though izuku is not harmed by his own quirks release of power, he isnt healed by its effect either, and when he goes off so to speak, he will still have any injuries he had immediately prior to the release. though he could store up pain over time to make the eventual release more destructive, it will reach a point at which it can and will cause massive property damage. he can hypothetically trigger his own release on purpose by deciding he does not to want take anymore pain with focus, and let off steam to prevent it from becoming dangerous.

various types of pain cause different effects blunt trauma, burns, cuts and etcetera create shockwaves, an exploding sun, a slash that cuts various directions etecetera. though he can control the type of attack released if he focuses on it hard, it will usually match whatever his most recent injuries are on its own.

"I always wanted to be a hero," the green-haired analyst admitted. Shouta looked up from where he'd been going through the report the man gave him.

"You never tried?" Shouta asked. Midoriya Izuku was a rather mysterious figure in the underground, an incredible mind who was a neutral part of the underground. He gave out information to anyone, though he was known to have limits on who he would speak to.

Many people heard of how he defeated an entire gang that tried to force him to work with them despite crossing his lines.

"My Quirk isn't... suited," Midoriya said.

"Didn't you just tell off that guy saying his Quirk isn't suited?" Shouta asked.

"My Quirk affects anyone behind me, from villains to bystanders. I tried to hone it so it would only affect one person, but it is impossible," Midoriya shrugged. "That's the truth."

"What is it?" Shouta asked.

"I used to get the shit beat out of me by this boy I used to call my friend. One day, I just... burst. All the pain he put on me I threw out towards everyone around me," Midoriya shook his head. "Imagine a hero who ends up causing everyone around them pain in a fight."

"I see," Shouta sighed. He did believe Quirks shouldn't matter for heroes, but...

Well, this was reality. Some Quirks were too dangerous to be used in heroics.

"Is that how you keep your neutrality?" Shouta asked.

"Yeah," Midoriya said. He sighed. "I can be a hero this way. Mostly."

"But it doesn't make the same amount of money," Shouta agreed. He'd done his research. Midoriya Inko was a victim of Quirk Affected Behaviour, and she also had a Quirk Inflicted mental condition. The hospital she resided in was expensive, and analysis just for heroes wasn't paid enough.

"Life doesn't always work out," Midoriya mused. Shouta nodded, looking back at the file to flip the page.

All for One is alive. He's approached me several times offering to switch my Quirk. He's planning a raid at UA.

Not reacting to the note took every bit of experience Shouta built up. He simply continued to read.

But he had a lot to do.

[chebyshevptera]

ideas as in analysis and any resulting 'headcanons' or further extrapolations of his character that you get out of the analysis? please share what you saw in skybound. typically you only hear about hunted/crystallised when it comes to this topic (and only ever on a surface level) so I am interested in your impression of it

yeah ok !

so in hunted and crystallized we see his psychosis delve into more severity considering the fact that he’s hallucinating (visually and audibly), his personality has changed, etcetera . i wouldn’t say that these seasons are great psychotic rep but that doesn’t change the fact that jay is still canonically psychotic and denying that part of his character because you dislike the way ninjago deals with characterization in the later seasons is silly to me

now this is just my own interpretation of the situation in skybound as someone with a psychotic disorder myself lol . TO CLARIFY!!! I AM NOT SAYING THIS IS LIKE. THE CANON THING THAT HAPPENS OR THE CANON REASON OR WHAAAATEVER . THIS IS JUST HOW I INTERPRETED IT BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCES . (clears throat)

aside from the scenes in hunted and crystallized i think skybound is a pretty good representation of jay’s mental state specifically with less bizarre delusions . i personally recognize the severe succumbing into a particular belief that jay bases his behavior around lol . his emotions become really unstable (“it’s because im from a junkyard, isn’t it?!”) and he starts bargaining and changing his behavior excessively in order to confide to this belief he has (where the only evidence is the fact that nya was standing next to him in his vision, which he sort of states?? “besides, even if it WERE true…”) . even when he gets the absolute fuck beat out of him and has to have an eyepatch to cover the wound, all he can think about is the fact that it’s justifying his beliefs (“just like the one in my future!”) . these are all things i myself have experienced while being delusional over a similar situation (platonic, not romantic, but still lol).

jay is also arguably pretty depressed at the start of the season so the sudden change in demeanor from sad and mopey and whiny to loud and frantic and snappy and paranoid was notable to me . just like how despite the fact that nya has frequently dismissed his affections, which he even KNOWS of and ADMITS to in the first episode with zane, jay quickly seems to “forget” this and just kind of . does whatever it takes to get with her . (not to claim his mental state makes his behavior okay . to me it seems like a delusional episode) . i know it’s a cartoon or whateva and jay obviously has a point to believe that he and nya are ending up together but like , from any character’s perspective and from jay’s own, i can understand why it seems so wonky

even before skybound jay just overall is incredibly impulsive , emotionally unstable , seemingly experiences racing thoughts and speech , and him having poor hygiene is (unfortunately) a running joke in the series . he lies for the sake of feeling secure and does incredibly dangerous things to himself (??throwing himself off of a building with a makeshift glider despite the fact that he failed 5 times previously) and is easily distracted , etcetera etcetera

of course ninjago won’t outright try to admit that a character is psychotic because of stigmatization and it’s not like jay’s experiences in skybound are CANONICALLY the result of an episode , and therefore, if you don’t agree with this interpretation then that is a-okay . it’s just me recognizing something in him that I experience and then trying to understand jay’s brain . my experience as a psychotic individual also won’t be the same as other people’s so there’s that too

headcanonsssss ? personally i hc jay is schizoaffective . i think that jay has more prolonged recovery periods / better prognosis than he would if he had schizophrenia . but i also know a really common one is borderline jay, which i also totally understand and agree with (especially because people with bpd also experience psychosis! fun) . there’s also the other bpd aka brief psychotic disorder which also could easily apply to him

sorry that this is super choppy haha . I hope it makes sense . thank you for taking an interest !

[iorekbyrinson]

shc drabbles: asriel belacqua, or, the Double Lion that ISN'T a Double Lion

ok so asriel has literally. haunted me since he got typed as a double lion. and this isn't to say that interpretation isn't correct.

however HOWEVER - do I think that's his sorting? no. I think he's a Lion secondary (that sometimes tries and pulls a Marisa Coulter-esque Snake sec), but his primary? Hufflepuff, baby. this is one of fiction's TRUE evil Badger Lions, and, to be honest, it's not even that hard to see how.

compare and contrast with Erik Lehnsherr, his nearest counterpart. Magneto has a kind of Badger-y shell on his Primary that dovetails with the dehumanizing aspects of his cause, rallies people behind him (it implies a kind of group care without him ever kind of NEEDING the group if that makes sense), and may well be something borrowed from his old mirror Charles Xavier, who Badgers so hard it sometimes hard to see his own Snake-yness. Anyhow, I digress. What I'm saying is - Magneto is the true Double Lion. He has his Cause, and when we see him in First Class, it's a typical low-health revenge fantasy Cause. then Charles intervenes and tries to guide him to a kind of belonging, a reckoning within his sense of unity amongst mutants (and humans, because Charles doesn't discriminate), but once that philosophy goes against Erik's newest Cause (born bloodstained and dripping the SECOND after the coin goes through Shaw's skull), he abandons Charles. and that's Erik's journey throughout these prequel movies especially - he finds a Cause, something disrupts it, he Improvises, then discovers a new one, hidden like an ember deep within. it's all internal and driven and NATURAL AND NORMAL to Erik to do this. he's a Lion.

now take Asriel - Asriel Belacqua, who EVERYONE knows to be a bit of a tight-arse and basically has never related to anyone, ever. his daemon is a snow leopard because the dude basically has the Arctic wastes swirling around inside of him. now that coldness; where is born it from? does it come from a particularly frozen Cause, a sense of isolation on a journey no one understands? when we see Erik on an equivalent journey, he's never ALONE like that - not really. Erik is either brooding or dangerously damaged or ticking over until his Lion comes roaring through. Asriel? even when he's getting what he wants, his glee is - dangerous. he's described as having eyes that glitter with savage amusement or rage. what I'm trying to get it as Asriel has an EXTERNAL primary - and what is his External Primary geared towards? hating humankind.

Now, without getting into the weeds of analysis too much, Asriel is supposed to be a cipher for Satan, the one who wants to destroy Heaven etcetera etcetera. And what we can take from this is Asriel feels fundamentally APART. Excluded. And he HATES it. he hates how the Authority and the Magisterium have curried the world into their little factions of power and belonging, he hates how he perceives himself as the ONLY one to see all this, he hates how Lyra, who is a real Lion primary, can survive on her own rage and power and instead he is burdened by it, because if there was ever someone who didn't have a LIFE outside of his raison d'etre, it's Asriel. It's hard to see, but once you see, you can't unsee it. And boy oh boy, does Asriel dehumanize HARD. He sees it fundamentally in tune to a greater plan (the plan being that he will free the world from oppression, but he shows precious little actual FERVOUR for the people he's supposedly freeing, because as we say, he hates them), and literally anyone who comes in his path he doesn't see as valuable/sees as expendable becomes Not Important. Roger Parslow, the child, who he sacrifices to open the new world. Lyra, time and time again. Even Marisa.

SPEAKING of; Marisa Coulter, Double Snake, is the only one who has ever gotten past all of this destructive Badger armour. Because she's a Loyalist - and Asriel UNDERSTANDS that. His one misstep outside of his mission was in his personal life when he threw caution to the wind to have an affair with Marisa, have their baby, and then grant that baby to Jordan College. Who knows, maybe this was the seed of him starting to dehumanize EVERYONE. But she's the only one he bows to, ever, even slightly. When she's injured in the last book, he lifts her and carries her to his aircraft with a gentleness NO ONE ELSE sees in the books. When she wakes in the other room and despairs of what comes next, whens he asks why he didn't just tell her he was trying in actuality to save Lyra/save the fate of humanity, he says wearily "I lied because I thought you'd believe a lie." At his weakest, at his most vulnerable, he turns to Marisa, because she's the only connection he has left to whatever human being was inside him. And his ending - falling into the abyss with her to save their child? That's the most these toxic, twisted Loyalists could ever give their unparented child. A fitting ending.

@wisteria-lodge I'd love to get your thoughts on this. What say you, Badger Lion, or Double Lion Asriel?

[lani-heart]

This is a question I've been meaning to ask since I first found the circus series,but!

How does the hybrid-code system work? Like all of the colors? What separates a green hybrid and a yellow hybrid? What separates a red hybrid and a black hybrid? Where does purple fall into the chart? Are there any other colors we haven't seen yet? What do they all mean? That kinda stuff^^

Thank you!♡

This is a fun question :D

Green-code hybrids are friendly with other hybrids, humans, kids, etcetera. An example of a green-code hybrid is Wooyoung, and as you can see, he isn't a threat to anyone but himself. Kun or Doyoung would have to go through lots of analysis to pass a hybrid as green since if they do show signs of aggression it'll be under their negligence.

Yellow-code Hybrids are often hybrids considered to be either a threat to a hybrid or human but still can be adopted. I can see these hybrids as more like guardians than simply spoiled hybrids like Wooyoung. Yeosang and Seonghwa are the only yellow-coded hybrids so far. Yeosang specifically is a threat to humans but not hybrids. He isn't aggressive but can be seen as defensive. While Seonghwa is a threat to humans as well, he is also seen as defensive but can be agitated around other humans.

So the main difference of the yellow and green codes are how defensive they are or how territorial. If a hybrid is territorial against other hybrids but not aggressive then they'll be classified as yellow.

Orange-Code Hybrids are moderate threats to both humans and hybrids. So they can show aggressive behaviors and defensive behaviors to either protect themselves or simply because its in their nature. I don't remember if we've had an orange code hybrid besides San going down to the code eventually but it's a code that is seen to be a crossing line between adoptable and red codes. if they have some redeemable qualities they will be put up for adoption but under the warning for potential owners that they can be aggressive. Also not recommended with other hybrids or kids.

Red Code Hybrids... well they're hybrids that can't be adopted under any circumstances as they are a severe threat to humans and possibly hybrids. They only get these codes if they have attacked a human in the past. So an example, San is a violent hybrid who came from an illegal hybrid fighting ring that obviously has a violent nature. He also attacked our lovely protagonist and is coded and ranked as such. The same with Hongjoong, he attacked humans and clearly showed his distaste for them when they captured all the hybrids and evaluated them as such.

Now... Black code hybrids are hybrids under no circumstances should be left with someone who isn't qualified to handle them. They also have. mandatory show collar policy on them since they can be unpredictable. Often given to hybrids who've killed hybrids or humans before in isolated circumstances. As Hongjoong did... he almost killed our protagonist and needed to go through an investigation as a process for all of them since y/n was unconscious. Most of the time if a hybrid does commit this act they go through the risk of being euthanized or sent to another facility that's more strict. Like the adoption center was gonna do with San in the beginning of the story of euthanization he wasn't adopted and Kun with Hongjoong since he almost killed y/n.

Lastly Purple codes... hybrids who are a danger to themselves. There are obviously different circumstances. Wooyoung was at risk of being purple color due to his severe depressive episode but still was being analyzed since he went through something traumatic such as grief. San however the difference was he completely developed retrograde amnesia. At first, as clarity, he was a severe threat to himself as Kuns aw that he was the most dependent on y/n and was hurting himself by being chained up. So he would be placed in purple codes. I also see this as having a rank. So San would be Purple Code, rank 2 whereas Wooyoung was at risk of Purple Code rank 1

I don't think there would be any other codes besides ranks within the color codes which I haven't explained but I also don't wanna rant since I already did too much. I hope I made some sense T-T

[draconic-distress]

Ok i know i don’t really fragmem post over here but there’s something that’s been bothering me lately that i kinda wanna talk about in the same vein as my past analysis posts. I’m not trying to start anything and everyone is entitled to their headcanons and opinions, and I will continue to believe that because it’s rude to overstep on things like that. That being said…

This post is about Myunna’s age. And the fact that, seeing as they’re often viewed and depicted as a child by the fandom…

Then why isn’t Rimicha?

Like I said, I’m not looking to start a fight, and I’m not trying to change anyone’s headcanons or beliefs. This is just something that’s been bothering me personally, and I thought I’d bring it up while we wait for the final part of Blue episode 3 to come out in a few days.

To start off, I wanna compare Rimicha and Myunna as characters and examine what makes them so childlike in the fandom’s eyes—the latter more than the former. A lot of surface level things are easy to pick up on:

Both of them have very ‘’’childlike’’’ personalities, in terms of coming across as irresponsible, skittish, excitable, insecure due to their inexperience in comparison to their fellow knights, etcetera.

2. Similarly to the previous point, this behavior can also lead to other people treating them differently, be it teasingly/affectionately or just outright talked down to like they're kids. This carries over to the fandom in a way

3. Both of them are barely over five foot. In fact, Rimicha is only three inches taller than Myunna (Rimicha is 5’5” or 165 cm, Myunna is 5’2” or 157 cm). That’s not a very big discrepancy

4. Both of them are twinks. I’m correct and you know that I mean look at them. They’re both skinny, shorter boys who appear younger and more androgynous in comparison to their peers and seniors

5. Both of them are not only the youngest of their Bouquets, but are also the youngest of all the Fragaria Knights overall

This chartthat was recently released by the official twitter shows the age:time serving ratio of each knight, and seems to imply that each space is only a one year gap between characters—for the most part—which already tells us a lot. Based on that math, Myunna and Rimicha are barely a year apart in age, and less than that in the amount of time between when they each became knights.

So all things considered, Myunna and Rimicha are roughly the same age and should be treated as such, right?

But the thing is… they’re not.

Rimicha is treated as an adult by the fandom, he’s his fellow knight’s peer and trusted ally, and the fandom doesn’t deny that for even a second. Myunna, however, is treated as a child, as in like 10-14 age range, and is not viewed with the same respect and fairness their Red Bouquet contemporary is.

Something about that has always bothered me. With how they both act, look, and the fact they're the youngest of their groups—and overall—it's strange that the fandom views them so differently when there's so much similarity between them. I genuinely don't know where that would've come from.

One reason I can believe for people viewing Myunna as younger by comparison is the fact that they’ve skipped a grade in Knight School, as confirmed by the interviews conducted for the first anniversary

I can see why this would make people think that, but I really don't think it quite adds up to conclude that Myunna is a minor, especially if it was only one year they skipped.

We don't know much about Knight School, so for now let's say it lasts about as long as a normal high school/college, and you go for four years. And let's say Myunna was 14 when they started going, since that seems like a reasonable age for them to have started going while still being young.

By that math, the youngest they could've graduated would be 17. I doubt they'd let anyone under like 16 be a knight, but I can believe Myunna—who would have been over 16 based on our math—became a knight right out of the gate if they really were that prodigal.

To add on to this, let's take note of our good friend the age:time served ratio chart again:

notice the portion I've circled, which is roughly 1 1/2–2 1/2 knights long. If we're going off of the logic that one space equates to one year, then that means by the time the actual main story of Blue Bouquet occurs and we're introduced to Myunna, then according to our math they would have to be 18–19 years old minimum at that point.

This logic can also work backwards towards the argument that Rimicha is also a minor, by virtue of the fact that he must have been in Knight School around the same time, and is only a year older than Myunna—I personally believe they're both adults, though, albeit very young adults.

So what's the deal? Like genuinely I wanna hear everyone's perspective on this because I don't know where that split came from. What about Rimicha makes him seem more like an adult than Myunna?

Like I said, I'm not trying to start anything by pointing this out, it's just something I noticed within the fandom and wanted to put down my thoughts about. I won't disrespect anyone's views or headcanons because of my own thoughts, so if you don't want to believe what I have to say, then you're under absolutely no obligation to, and that's ok. If you have your own input, then feel free to share, just please be civil. Everyone's entitled to their opinions, even if we disagree, and I'll continue to respect that!

[junk-culture]

actually forget rating jane eyre adaptations based on their faithfulness to the book the quality of acting the chemistry the cinematics etcetera etcetera. let's base our analysis on how cute the dogs playing pilot are

[spookythesillyfella]

This is going to be a weird inbox to get considering it's 3 in the morning (On my end) as I do sent it but I've been wondering if you ever associated any song with digitaltime? This is a relatively new question for me to ask anyone since I don't usually go digging for ships out of the idea MAYBE people may feel embarrassed/uncomfortable talking about it? (Even if it did give them comfort!) If not song(s) at least maybe you can talk about them a bit, I used to love digitaltime back when I first joined dhmis in 2016 so I'm always really amazed the ship LIVES ON somewhere! (FEEL FREE TO TALK ABOUT SONGS AND HEADCANONS/IDEAS if you wanna do both I'd LOVE to hear!) I've been meaning to inbox you for days actually! Just couldn't seem to get myself to do so relating to mental health crisis haha. I'm hoping I'll be able to reach out WAY MROE OFTEN just to remind you I am here!! Really always excited/interested in what you have to say even if I've not expressed it forwardly back at least this way uuhh uh. You can ignore this </3 I know it's been hard lately!

Stay strong !!

HII !!!! HI HELLOO HIII !!!! :DDDD

ouhhh goodness i adore thiz question – i love listening to muzic and thinking about theze lozerz X33 I JUST NEVER GET THE CHANCE TO CUZ NO ONE AROUND CAREZ ABOUT THEMMM >X[

i actually have quite a lot but i cant just go on a 3 hour analysis of all the onez . so might az well give you the short n sweet of it – i really wouldn't want to waste your precious time ahaha ¥_^

★ "505" – Arctic Monkeys ; probably my favorite on the list but itz also one of the most SELF INDULGENT

the lyricz are just really fitting with my vizion of them – the lyricz "I'm going back to 505 // If it's a seven hour flight or a forty-five minute drive // In my imagination, you're waitin' lyin' on your side // With your hands between your thighs" fit with the fact they really love one another tremendously – their devotion

also the lyricz "Not shy of a spark // The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark // Frightened by the bite, though it's no harsher than the bark // The middle of adventure, such a perfect place to start" and "But I crumble completely when you cry // It seems like once again you've had to greet me with goodbye // I'm always just about to go and spoil the surprise // Take my hands off of your eyes too soon" LIKE I DUNNO HOW TO EXPLAIN THEZE BUT THEY REALLY REALLY DOMAKE ME THINK OF THEM ........

★ "I Wanna Be Yours" – Arctic Monkeys [dont ask why i associate them with Arctic Monkeys so much . okay ???]

y'know how Colin tendz to talk a lot about how clever and cool and useful he iz ? i think thiz song iz very fitting to how he'd want to be like . useful for Tone – the peak of intimacy iz to be uzed . something something etcetera

★ "As The World Caves In" – Matt Maltese

fitting from Tonyz perspective . in my opinion – how he'd want to spend hiz remaining time alongside Colin . even if . in the grand scheme of everything . itz such a small speck ; how Colin makez Tony feel fulfilled . and how even when all run out of time . hez happy to have spent it together – none wasted

★ a couple of honorable mentionz that i won't go in depth on :

– "Cigarettes out the Window" – TV Girl [mostly cuz i wanna do an in-depth au related analysis on it sometime in the mear future]

– "Show Me How" – Men I Trust [would like to analyze thiz one too but can't really see myself doing it ; the lyricz "Tell me why // Your hands are cold" are rlly hv digitaltime though i swear]

– "Daisy Bell" – Harry Dacre [iz thiz in part cuz Colin iz a computer ? if i answer that question truthfully . you'll chase me with pitchforkz]

– "My Love Mine All Mine" – Mitski [i can't go in depth about thiz without bursting into tearz ; i really love it]

– "Lovers Rock" – TV Girl [im scared of talking about love ; love iz very scary to me]

– "P.U.N.K Girl" – Heavenly

– "Who Knew" – The Correspondents [a relatively new song ive started listening to and i hadn't had the chance to properly dissect the lyricz and analyze them – but . since it remindz me of me n my lover . therez a 90-ish% chance it remindz me of them too]

TYSM FOR THE ASK AGAIN !!!!!!!!! I LITERALLY LOVE TALKING ABOUT DIGITALTIME – THEZE FREAKZ ALWAYZ LINGER IN MY MIND !!!!!!!!!!! IVE BEEN SO STUMPED WHEN IT COMEZ TO IDEAZ TO WRITE AND / OR DRAW THEM SO JUST GETTING TO GET SOMETHING OUTTA MY BRAIN IZ REALLY GOOD

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF CUZ ILYSM !!!!!! YOU HAVE NO CLUE HOW HAPPY THIZ ASK ACTUALLY MADE ME . SO THANK YOU <33

[diamondoffaith]

doing parts of @maoisarap's yume ask game! i was gonna do everything but 1. got lazy or cant think of answers rn + 2. still busy 😭 mix of tatsukou spam but also Me x tatsumi personally under the cut (+ 1st time posting them on main so ! introducing them w this)

if anyones interested i can throw the other questions into the replies of this post

3) if you're in a romantic relationship with your f/o, do you think your unit members would accept your relationship status? both alkaloid and chronovox (kousei's unit) are ! but mayoi used to be scared ? of Kousei because kousei gets easily jealous sometimes and mayoi doesn't want to accidentally intrude on tatsukou's relationship or anything (they worked it out now)

well theyre supportive but also unfortunate Cough Cough mayoi in the vents while tatsukou are alone in the practice room. i mean what

4) what type of occupation are you and your f/o? idol x idol for tatsukou! kousei's part of chronovox under starpro. chronovox is a group of guardians of time, guiding their fans through their music.

(l->r: Kousei Himari (dusk), Rito Ishiki (midnight), Nazoya Sekiei (noon), Kiyomi Asaki (dawn)) (pretend nazoya and kiyomi's positions are swapped)

Dusk: A time to rest off and welcome the night, inspiring peace.

Midnight: The time one can be the most vulnerable, inspiring reflection.

Dawn: A warm welcome to the new day, inspiring hope.

Noon: The time one is most active, inspiring passion.

5) can you describe you and your f/o's relationship with 3 ensemble stars!! song titles? there's a little challenge! undying holy love walk with your smile accept my love (☹️)

6) do you prefer canon or fanon version of your f/o? i have no idea i dont actually read most stories i learned about tatsumi based on fan analysis of him on twitter and my friend infodumping LOL

i guess part of my own fanon version of him though is he's less like. vocal ?? about his faith in the current point of the story like. ofc its still a big part of him, im not taking it away, but he isn't that preachy anymore because he now found himself as an idol and wants to focus on that first

7) who confessed first between you and your f/o? how did they do it? kousei....... they went on a drive together after a few months of casual dating and that's where he finally opens up a lot about himself (especially coming out to tatsu that he's actually a trans boy)

it was the day tatsumi realized just how much he cared for and wanted to protect kousei (because deep inside they actually share similarities regarding faith, the thing that made them hesitant to be with each other at first because of their differences in beliefs, yet they were able to work through it together), and the day kousei realized he finally had someone he could fully trust, and that they didn't want to lose each other

8) was your f/o also your first liked character in the franchise? if so, what made them reel you in? if not, who was? i actually first liked hajime when i found out about enstars in like 2020. then obbligato tatsu came out and i thought "oh hey thats pretty" but thought nothing of it but tatsu was at the back of my mind. i wasnt really interested in him bc #religioustrauma. and then my friends peer pressured me into not being in denial w him anymore just last december and january then i learned about his character much deeper and cried and shitted myself and here we are.

9) how did you figure out that this f/o of yours in particular is "the one"? for tatsukou its the same as i mentioned in the confession question above but for Me.

this is. embarrassing to admit in public but. sometimes if im like deep enough into daydreaming or something i can almost "feel" characters holding or kissing me. like phantom sensations i guess. and "feeling" tatsumis kiss is what got me 🥹 it was very soft and tender and warm... call me crazy and ill idc its really how i fell for tatsu

11) do you have any merch of your f/o? (proper/fanmade/re-used/etcetera) if not, what is your dream merchandise piece to have of them? I have 2 pashas and a pin from my friend but i wanna collect most of the nuis (especially the bear one)

12) do you like how your f/o sounds with the voice they're given? what about their singing voice?

yes.

13) speaking of f/o's voice, do you know of the voice actor behind your f/o? have you seen or played any other franchises your f/o's voice actor has been in? yakumo nucarni .

14) if isekai was real in our world, would you want to go to the enstarsverse just to be with your f/o? can it be reversed and i kidnap tatsumi onto here i need a boyfriend to get me through college finals week

16) do you and/or your f/o have any fears about your relationship status? well obviously theyre both idols. kousei always wants to openly show off that tatsumi and him belong together but they really cant. the most they can do is having matching necklaces as a small hint to their fans should they catch it

18) does your f/o get embarrassed if you sing any of their songs? or do they join in? Kousei does, but they always sing together

21) do you count your f/o's centre song as a song dedicated to yourself? undying holy love not that sure yet but starlight of faith yes

22) is your relationship a secret or an open one, due to some restricted rules that could exist in the enstarsverse? they're only open about it with other es idols but it's still hidden from the fans

23) who's more likely to be affectionate in front of other idols/the fans, between you and your f/o? tatsumi but he's subtle about it

26) what is one word you'd associate with your f/o? what's one word your f/o would associate with you? tatsumi - "diamond" kousei - "moon"

(expanding in another question)

27) who gets more jealous in the relationship? is there any particular reason as to why? KOUSEI. he grew up always ending up losing things, from losing small things like being forced to give away toys he still wanted to keep to losing friends after just a year or two of being in school together. if kousei had something others wanted, those people would take it from him, and he would let them if it makes them happy. so kousei gets scared to lose his partners

28) who's the tall one, and who's the short one between you both? or are you both the same height? tatsumi's taller (177cm, kousei's 162cm)

30) what's your favourite card of your f/o? choose one card for all different stars statuses (1-5)

fs2 tatsu unbloomed was the card that made him more charming to me and made me fall more but. link click tatsumi. im so mad i joined the fandom late so i cant get him

31) do you share a dorm room with your f/o? if so, what's it like? if not, how come?

kousei dorms alone but tatsumi stays over enough times they practically are roommates. they act like an old married couple

33) do you have any nicknames for each other? if so, what are they?

kousei's favorite nicknames (to be called): everything. (mainly darling, my love, and my little moon) what he loves calling tatsumi: darling, honey, my/dear prince, my diamond

tatsumi's favorite nicknames (to be called): dear, my diamond what he loves calling kousei: sweetheart, love, darling, my little moon

Kousei calls Tatsumi "my diamond", because he was like a diamond stone, chipped away by giving himself to others who mainly saw his value, leaving only a small piece for few people to fully see and appreciate the beauty of.

Tatsumi calls Kousei "my little moon", because he was mysterious yet captivating, just like the moon. It was also as if a drop of moonlight, a gift from the heavens, had made its way onto the earth, guiding others and showing them a comforting warmth as an idol.

37) what's an ordinary day between you both like? is it full of chaos, or are you as calm as ever? very domestic. they just cuddle in kousei's dorm or maybe sometimes go on walks. especially on days one of them feels upset or overwhelemed by something, the other spoils them and showers them in praises

38) how did you and your f/o meet? i. havent worked it out! im not sure if i'm throwing kousei into reimei yet but i'll decide it after reading obbligato. but for now they just met as senpai-kouhai before chronovox debuted

39) do you think your f/o's fans would accept your relationship status? tatsukou would get too fucking obvious at some point that fans wont be surprised at all if they announce theyre dating (of course theres gonna be some jealous fans but)

↑ by that i mean kousei changing the choreography for undying holy love when his unit covers it. in the "diamond ni shite" part where it looks like (to me at least) tatsumi's taking off a ring and showing it off, kousei instead takes the ring and puts it on his finger before kissing it and blowing that kiss

40) what is your favourite thing about your f/o? what's your f/o's favourite thing about you?

kousei's favorite thing is how patient and considerate tatsumi always is

tatsumi's favorite thing is seeing how soft kousei's smile had grown throughout their time together. seeing how warm and just. happy it's gotten even after all he's been through in the past

[toothworxx]

i did talk about this a little bit in my writing, and i dont usually tend to go out and speak about precise fandom theories and implications, but i did want to make my own sort of analysis on *what* exactly Returning To Origins (RTO) is in Mairimashita Iruma-kun.

To begin with, we do have the *direct description* given of "RTO is giving into your evil cycle"

but *why* would someone choose to do this if there werent some factor prompting them to, to some degree? i mean, evil cycles are caused by large amounts of stress building up, and nobody would want to feel stressed *all the time*. and ive seen others have theories of RTOs connection to trauma, or even depression, which is true to some degree- however, the case this narrative is trying to make is nowhere near the fact that trauma makes you *bad*, or that it makes you predisposed to doing bad things, all things considered. it is in fact also connected to the importance of *teaching children* in a post war society.

theres ALWAYS been a very large focus on the fact that education can directly impact generations of people- but what is one of the teachings that survived after the war? its actually something that opera teaches to iruma in the beginning of the series.

"turn your fear into excitement"

children are taught very young that in order to survive you can *not feel fear*, and to instead turn that into something that feels *good*.

who would be feeling the most fear of all in a seemingly normal modern society now?? traumatized children. if youre stressed from deep rooted trauma, you fall into your evil cycle more often than others, but if youre *taught* to make it something enjoyable- you give in.

essentially- i do think that RTO has a correlation with trauma, but only because of a deep rooted societal teaching that allows for RTO demons to come to this conclusion. they were taught to. Baal purposely seeks out people who have issues, (kirio with his constant domestic abuse at home, ocho who was indoctrinated into a cult, etcetera. people who are vulnerable) not because he believes their trauma makes them more likely to do evil things, but because he knows *what theyve been taught* and can use that to manipulate them into joining him.

i mean, we see other demons in their evil cycles get VERY close to RTO (hinted at by the symbols in their eyes)

even demons like clara who are *known good characters* (especially considering shes "more innocent than a baby according to raim 😭😭😭) implying that it isnt exactly something people are *predispositioned to* per se- it is something that is *taught*.

because they turn that stress into something they enjoy, they give in, especially if that stress is a long term effect of something they no longer believe will change without action.

- the short version of this is that the foundations of RTO are deeply ingrained into demon society, and that is why in a time of great stress, we see people follow what they were taught. the only way to reverse this process is to educate on and break the cycles of abuse and exploitation of children, as teaching is a vital contributor to the narrative mairuma is trying to tell -

[transmascutena]

what do you think about the incestuous relationships in revolutionary girl utena, and the root causes of the abuse? one of my favorite analyses I've read so far talked about how rape and incest aren't deviant, they are an extension of the patriarchal family unit. And do you have any thoughts/analysis about how it specifically manifests in RGU and the way the narrative communicates these themes?

It's so annoying the way some people act like the incest is just regular brother and sister complexes that's common in a lot of anime, and not an integral part of the show's themes about the Family fostering an environment ripe for abuse. The show treats these heavy themes seriously, and I wish I was smart enough to articulate my thoughts about Miki and Kozue, Anthy and Akio, etcetera. Hence, this ask.

Jsjsksks I know I sent an ask just yesterday about Revolutionary Girl Utena, but your analysis is so cohesive, and I really appreciate you bringing family/marriage abolition and amato-normativity into your analysis posts. It's very affirming to me as an aromantic asexual.

thank you so much! i will admit i also have a hard time putting my thoughts about these themes into words, because they are . a lot, so forgive me if this is a little rambl-y. but they are a huge and very important part of the show, so they're important to talk about.

i think i know the analysis you're talking about, and it's spot on. every kind of abuse we see in the show is a product of The System (patriarchy, the school system, the nuclear family, etc.) that's not to say that the abuse isn't purposeful, or that it doesn't often come from people choosing to do harm, but their ability to cause that harm is facilitated by these systems. for example, the system is not forcing akio to do what he does (although it is the reason he knows it will get him what he wants) it is just giving him the tools to do it effectively. abuse does come from people, but the systems are what makes the abuse so effective, and that's why we need to dismantle them.

this is something i've mentioned before, but a big part of why anthy was so trapped in her situation until the end, is because of the expectation to value family above all else, and to always love and forgive them no matter how they hurt us. and that is the reason why incest is so inherently toxic and abusive. it's not that it's "gross and unnatural" (such rhetoric really only serves to hurt and alienate victims anyway) it's that you cannot ever have a healthy relationship in a framework that tells you that you always have to stay with someone, and forgive someone, and love someone, no matter what. it doesn't matter if there's no age gap (seen in the kaoru twins) to create other kinds of power imbalances and it doesn't matter if they're not actually related by blood (seen in nanami thinking touga isn't her "real" brother, and in touga trying to use that against her.)

i've talked about how all this affects utena as well, and how even the state of not having a family makes you vulnerable to it, here.

it's not that siblings (or other family members) are more likely to be abusive people, but when they are, it is a lot harder to escape said abuse. leaving a regular abusive relationship is already incredibly difficult, but if they're you're family, it's even easier to fall into the mindset of "oh, but they really just want the best for me." when you've been taught that family is the most important thing in the world, leaving them is a huge decision. especially if you rely on them for material needs as well, like housing and food (which also happens a lot in romantic relationships and marriages.) there's also the way that with sibling incest in particular, especially if there isn't a big age gap, the victim will often be made to feel complicit in the abuse, either by their abuser or by society at large. like it's something "weird and taboo" that two people are doing together, rather than the abuse it really is.

that last part definitely manifests in the show, with the victim-blaming anthy recieves. from nanami especially. her desire to prove that she's "not like anthy" comes from an understandable place. she's dealing with figuring out that her feelings for her brother weren't what she thought they were, but it ends up with her putting equal amounts of blame on akio and anthy for the abuse she witnessed, even though there is a clear perpetrator (not helped by nanami already disliking and distrusting anthy.) it's clearest, i think, when she refers to them as "those perverted siblings" to utena.

it's funny (it's not) that this kind of thinking even manages to happen in the fandom itself. anthy is obviously not a perfect passive victim, and it's reductive of her character to say so, but the idea that she is as much an active participant in the abuse as akio is, is a take i have seen too many times for comfort. like, congrats, you fell for the exact kind of thinking that the show was trying to critique!

[marabarl-and-marlbara]

hi i wanted to know if u have any good book recommendations? they can be about anything rlly i just want to become smarter

hi anonymous;

you:re as smart as you need to be, and really: you should read books out of passion (and fun) in lieu of pure raw erudition--mostly cause i think that is a fast way to burn yourself out by forcing yourself to read through dry garbage you don:t really want to read (this sounds loaded, but countering what i:m saying: if you are suddenly passionate about pursuing Pure Mathematics and want to just dive into math textbooks: then pursue that passion :-)) );

i do have recommendations, though! but i don:t think they:ll make you smarter; my favorite book as a kid was Howl's Moving Castle (hated the movie, garbage), it:s just a very fun fantasy book and it rekindled my love for reading after a long stint of trying-to-be-smarter by pursuing philosophical trash;

i really really really loved Squee! and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac as a kid, too; my dad sent them to me as a gift when i was really young & probably one of the only things he sent me that i deeply loved; i wish i still had those books, i:ve really been wanting to re-read them;

read Crying of Lot 49 this year and it moved me a lot--made me really interested in Pynchon as a whole; I'd rope a handful of American authors into this actually: Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man is Hard To Find, Cormac McCarthy's Outer Darkness were all amazing surprises to me that just made me really appreciate American authors (sort-of doofy but I really did just appreciate this southern tradition of writers in an inspiring sort-of geographical way, like: I know these lands! I am soaked in this dust! I have this same odd bigotry in me!) -- but I think all of those works/authors are great and you probably can't go wrong with anything any of them have wrote;

I'm currently reading My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante and really enjoying it; the cover/name makes you think of some harlequin romance novel but it's basically a femcel manifesto on hating someone so obsessively that it is indistinguishable from love; I'm currently listening to Stephen King's Duma Key and enjoying it--I'm listening through a lot of King books, just finished From a Buick 8 (loved it) (I'd rope King into the 'loving American authors' thing, cause he was a part of my culture growing up, you know? as doofy as it is, I'm kinda happy to have grown up alongside his career and output and it's been fun to finally delve into his stories);

also finished Nabokov's Pale Fire recent-ish -- if you like stuff like House of Leaves you might like it (it sounds sinful to compare that book to Nabokov but it's pretty apt, too); it's one of the few books I've read that actually made me laugh, and Nabokov is a beautiful writer, and Pale Fire is a book with enough depth that I think a reader could go through it several times and pluck out something completely new each time.

I don't think any of these would make you smarter; funny as it is: I think the KJV Bible is a beautiful read but I don't think I'd suggest it outside of attending church wholly because part of the poetry of the Bible comes from studying the context of a passage and all the lenses that come with it (I'd actually consider studying the 'academic biblical' analysis of the Bible as a church itself, not in contrast with church apologia); you can find a lot of odd inspiration in the works of prophets ala Mary Baker, Ellen White, various Catholic saints, Joseph Smith, Hubbard (wink, but sincere, I like Hubbard), etcetera--but I feel like inspiration or passion leads you to those works rather than some dull desire to soak up another persons passions in hopes that'll saturate you with something you've been missing. Ex: if you want to be a Christian Scientist: read Mary Baker; but likely if you wanted to, you'd already be reading--as circling as that sounds.

Take care, anonymous.